Bound for Glory
by GRX3m0m
Summary: There are times, you dream of doing something.When you actually do it,your heart feels with joy...but that doesn't always happen.Sometimes,you get to follow your dream with a heavy heart,with a burden.That if you fall, you'll drag those you love with you.
1. Introduction

Hello everyone, welcome to my story. A surprise is waiting down, in the end of the chapter. But don't just rush there! Why don't you read the short chapter just to know the main idea of the fic? Here it is…

**INTRODUCTION  
**

Hello. My name is Alex, I am an Eevee and I am two year old. Actually, that is in Pokémon years. In human years, I am ten. I live in a distant village called Brill. When I say distant, I mean far away from the capital, Halka. The castle of the royal family is located there. The castle of Marcus, the Dragonight. Marcus is the king of that place. He rules in tyranny all over Ivara. Anyway, back to Brill. It's a small village, as I said before, and all the folks here know each other. We are independent, Marcus doesn't know about this village, or he doesn't bother with the likes of us…

So, I live here and I help my parents run this place. Oh, not the village, we own a little farm up the hill, and we provide the villagers with fruits, vegetables and stuff. Oups, I didn't even mentioned that there is a hill near the village, I haven't even told you how it looks like! Well, the village is built on the feet of mount Brillage(the name of the village is taken after the mountain, as you all guessed), and our farm is up on the only hill there is. I spend my free time with my best friend Sara. She is an Eevee as well. We spend our time exploring the mountain and improving our skills in battle.

Yeah! She is a tough girl, really. She is a little younger than me (so I can tease her and pronounce myself leader) and her parents are childhood friends to mine. She is the only Pokémon near my age around here, so there is nothing I can do. She is the only one I can talk to and reveal my dream. I want to go out and explore the world! It just fascinates me completely. So many places to visit, so many wonders to see… I know that I am still too young to travel that far, but I have been making the preparations for the trip. Soon…soon I will be off this place and I'll travel the world!

There is also one more reason I want to go around the world. I want to meet strong Pokémon and challenge them. I want to become one of the strongest Pokémon ever. I know that it sounds silly, but I want one day, to be able to take on Marcus. I never say that aloud thought… I know what my fate will be if I do. But just think of it. I will become a hero among the people of Ivara, they may accept me as their future king! Yeah, as if I could do that. Sitting on a throne doing nothings is boring don't you think? I am a bit tired though at the moment, so the journey can wait… Good night!

**SURPRISE!** You expected that though, didn't you? Ok, so listen up, like every Pokémon fic similar to this, it requires many charactes. I want you to sent me your OC(Own Characters)! As you all know, I can't accept all the OC… Anyway, this is an example of how you should do it:

Example

Name: Alex  
Pokemon: Eevee  
Side: Good (or Villain)  
Personality: Alex is a young Eevee that lives on Brill. He likes adventure, mainly exploring new places and improving his fighting skills. He is stubborn and likes talking (too much). His dream is to have an adventure throughout the world and become the strongest.  
Background: Alex was born by Jason the Flarion and Nali the Glacion in the village of Brill. He was the first child to be born after more than five years, so he was loved by all it's town folks. He soon became jealous of the cab that was born a couple of weeks later, but soon he befriended her.

_**WARNING:**_I won't update the story for quite a while. I need to place your OC in the story as best as I can. I want to make this story great!


	2. The distant village of Brill

**CHAPTER 2:THE DISTANT VILLAGE OF BRILL  
**

The sun hadn't completely appeared from the distance. It was still early in the morning, not even the Pokémon that had work to do were up yet. A young Eevee thought had awakened. Alex is the type of Pokémon that doesn't wants to spend his life sleeping. Sleeping is nice, yeah, but there are more interesting things to do. He got up and went to the restroom. He headed for the kitchen and opened the fridge. He got some milk and a couple of flakes and he started eating. 'Need the energy', he thought and smiled. He finished his breakfast and headed outside.

It was still early of September, so the weather was nice. He felt the warmth of the sun rays and closed his eyes, allowing his senses to enjoy it. He walked down the hill following the passage towards the village. Brillage mountain's foot was great. There were trees all over the place, providing the required supplies for the winter. There was a river as well that flowed from the top of the mountain(Alex and Sara had found it's foundation), towards the far end of the village, proving it with water. It actually floated next to the farm, making the watering of the seeds a lot easier.

He finally reached the village. There was only the sound of the wind passing through the housetops. No one was awake. He went forward, till he reached the square of the village, and then turned left. He walked for about five minutes and he entered the garden of the left building. He sneaked to the side, and he stopped by the window on the second floor. He got a little stone, he aimed and he threw it towards it. It hit it, making a faint sound. He got another one and threw it again. The sound was a little louder this time. He got a third one, and he was about to throw it, when the window opened and an Eevee appeared. Her eyes were almost full closed and she looked tired.

"For god's sake Alex, what time is it?" Sara complained. She had a young and thin voice, a fist for the ears.

"About six in the morning." He said and smiled at her.

"I guessed…Don't you have anything better to do than annoy me?" She asked and let out a sign.

"Nop. Come on, let's go exploring!" He said excited.

"Please Alex…I wanna sleep a little. Yesterday I slept at eleven o'clock. That's just sever hours damn it…" She said.

"Oh come on…I am the leader, and as a leader I order you to come down." He joked.

"Then I'll just have to make a resistant army to end your CRUELTY!" She answered back angry. That made Alex roll on the floor laughing.

"That was hilarious! Come one you see? You are clearly awake now. So come down here and let's go!" Alex said and smiled again.

"I can't believe I am your friend!" She said, but he was right, she was awake now.

"Love you too!" He said. Luckily for Sara, she had already left the window, so Alex wasn't able to see her blush. She followed her usual process, similar to Alex's, and left a message for her parents.

"You are gonna pay one day. I am gonna make you suffer!" She threatened.

"Yeah, yeah, we know. You are going to beat the crap out of me, but for the time being, let's just go climb the mountain. I have already organized our schedule. Wanna hear it?" He asked.

"Sure…" She said.

"Ok, we are going to go to the foundation of the river and from there, we'll enter the cave to the North. We'll reach the far depths of it. It will take us all day to do that and get back out. After that, we'll go to the usual place and battle. And finally, we'll watch the sunrise. What do you think?" He asked her excited.

"It looks good, but I hope everything goes as planned." She said.

"No need to worry. It will, and we will have a great time!" He smiled at her as he sped up. "Come on, try and catch me!"

000

Slowly, the village started waking up. You could hear the sun blinds opening and the villagers greeting and talking with each other. It was a usual day for everyone. Jason had already waken up, and was currently having his breakfast. Soon, Nali, his beloved wife entered the kitchen. She gave him a tired look and filled a cup with coffee. She drunk some and went to sit next to Jason, who was reading a local newspaper. She yawned and placed the cup on the table.

"Alex isn't on his bed." She told him.

"Typical honey, you know he is an energetic kid." He smiled at her.

"I bet that soon, we'll get a call from Fred and Ann." She said and placed the cup with the coffee on her lips.

"Same here. Poor little Sara…Our son just won't let her sleep." He said and signed.

"So, what's the plan for today?" She asked.

"Today there will be no work." He said calmly.

"And why is that?" Nali asked, although she knew the answer.

"It's you birthday honey, there are better things to do today."He said. "Speaking of which, Happy Birthday." He said and gave her a wrapped box.

"Thank you Jason!" She told him and smiled. She quickly unwrapped it and was surprised to see a folder. She opened it and inside she found two tickets. She looked at them in awe.

"You didn't…" She said, as she couldn't believe her eyes.

"Yes I did. Two weeks ago, when I left for Valoria. I went there and bought the tickets." He said and smiled.

"I can't believe it. You found tickets for my favorite play! They must have coasted a fortune!" She said and hugged him.

"Don't talk about the price. The look in your eyes right now is priceless." He said.

"You are the best." She said and gave him a smile. After what had happened, she felt refreshed.

"That's why you love me sweaty." He told her.

"Yeah, one of the many reasons." She answered back. Suddenly, the phone rang. Nali went and picked it up.

"Hello, Nali here." She said.

"Hello Nali, happy birthday!" Two voices said on the other line.

"Thanks Fred, thanks Ann." She said happily.

"Did you like Jason's gift?" Ann asked.

"You knew about it and you didn't tell me anything?" She asked annoyed.

"Would it have been a surprise if I had?" She asked.

"You must have seen how he looked like when he came over our house and told us about the tickets. He looked like he was flying!" Fred told her.

"Really?" Nali asked.

"Yeah. Now, one more thing: How the heck is Alex so energetic damn it? Sara left a message saying he came and picked her up at six o'clock!" Fred told her.

"SIX O'CLOCK?!" She asked in shock. " I didn't know he woke up so early…I mean, it's Nine o'clock and I just woke up!" She said.

"Let me guess, Alex picked Sara up at six o'clock?" Jason asked.

"Yeah…I don't believe him! How many hours does he sleep?" Nali asked.

"Hello there Jason! How is my beloved partner today?" Fred's voice asked from the speaker.

"I am great. Give my greetings to Ann for me please." He said.

"You are going to give her yours when you see her. So, this is our present to you Nali. You guys come over our home, we are going to have lunch together. You'll be amazed on what we did. Don't be late!" He said and hanged up.

"They didn't even gave us a choice, did they?" Jason commented.

"Yeah…At least we'll spend the day with them." She signed and then smiled. Nothing could ruin this day.

000

"Stop it! Come on it's annoying." Sara complained at her friend who was laughing his all out.

"I can't believe it! You fall in the water…It's just hilarious!" Alex said still laughing.

"Please Alex stop…Aaaachu! " She sneezed. Alex stopped laughing.

"You have caught a cold." He said on a serious tone. "Come on, let's get you somewhere warm."

"…" Sara just followed, as Alex took her paw and leader her away from the shade, to the sun. She signed in relief, as the rays warmed her wet fur.

"Feeling any better?" Alex asked.

"Yeah…Thanks Alex." She told him and placed her head on his shoulder.

"Sorry for laughing… I didn't want to upset you. It was just funny…" He said and his ears fall.

"Apology accepted." She said. "Now let's carry on with the plan"

"Are you sure? I mean, don't you think it would be better to head back and stay inside?" He asked.

"I don't want to stay inside, I will get bored…" She complained.

"I will stay with you, and we can play something. Besides, didn't you want to sleep?" He asked and smirked.

"No, I don't want to sleep now. Tell me something, I know that you hate staying indoors, why do you want to get back home and stay there?" She asked.

"Because it will help with your cold.." He told her. She was still resting her head over his shoulder. After hearing this, she lifted it, and looked at him.

"You would do that for me?" She asked.

"Of course I would! You are my best friend, I'd never let anything happen to you!" He told her. She smiled at him.

"Ok then, let's head back home...and Alex..." She begun.

"Yeah?" He asked.

"Thanks."

000

"So, what do you think?" A Leafeon asked Jason and Nali, as all of them entered the dining hall.

"It's perfect. I can't believe you went that far for me Fred." The Glacion said.

"Everything for our dear friend Nali." A Vaporeon said.

"Thank you both." Nali said.

"So about the Eevs, are they going to be back soon? Fred asked. Fred always calls Sara and Alex Eevs for sort.

"I don't really know, judging from usual, they'll be back by nightfall." Jason said. Then, the door opened, revealing Sara and Alex. All four of them , looked at them curious.

"…Hi." Sara said.

"Hello everybody, oh, Happy Birthday mom!" Alex said cheerfully.

"Thanks sweety." Nali said and smiled.

"Eevs, why are you back so soon?" Fred asked.

"Yeah, I thought you'd be still out exploring…" Ann said.

"Yeah, well…"Sara started, trying to find a good excuse.

"Sara fell in the river and caught a cold. So I decided it would be better to spend the day inside." Alex said.

"What?! Sara, are you all right?" Ann asked worriedly.

"Yeah mom, I am!" She told her mother. She turned to her friend and asked. "Satisfied?"

"Miss Ann, don't worry, she is fine. If you had caught a cold, you wouldn't have said a thing." Alex pointed out.

"He is right you know." Fred said. "Even thought you are a water type."

"Ann, she is all right, just forget about it and let's sit down and eat. The house is warm and she will be fine." Nali said. She didn't want to sound insensitive, but she knew Sara would be all right.

"FOOD?!" Both Sara and Alex asked. "Where is it, let's go dig in!" They both yelled and run for the table. All four adults sweetdropped.

"Children…" Jason said and headed for the table, after the children.

000

"That feels good." Alex said as he was lying down on the carpet.

"Hey Alex tell me something, you really love what you are doing at the moment, don't you?" Sara asked him.

"I sure do…" He said with his eyes closed.

"Ok then…CHARGE!" She yelled as she jumped over him and made him roll over.

"Hey! What was that for?" He asked annoyed.

"I told you you'll pay for waking me up. It's payback time!" She laughed and jumped over him again.

"Oh, no you won't!" Alex said and jumped as well. Both of them met in midair and started playing around like little cabs.

"They are really good friends, aren't they?" Ann asked as all of the adults were watching them.

"They sure are. Just think that they are the only children around here…" Jason said.

"People are afraid to have children nowadays…" Fred carried on.

"All because of Marcus. We live in dark times. I hope our children can have a better life than ours." Nali finished. Suddenly, voices from outside made them all stop what they were doing. Someone knocked on their door.

"Who is it?" Fred asked as he went to answer the door.

"We need your help immediately! Bandits are attacking the village!" A voice from outside said.

"Eevs, quickly hide on Sara's room!" Fred yelled.

"No way! We are strong, we can fight by your side!" Sara said, full of excitement.

"No, you'll go upstairs NOW, before I get mad!" Fred yelled at them.

"You guys go, I'll lock them!" Ann said and Jason, Fred and Nali left in a hurry, while she grabbed both of the children and rushed to Sara's room.

"No fair! We want to fight!" Both of them yelled as they were carried by the Vaporeon.

"Stay here and don't do anything reckless!" Ann said and left, locking the door behind her.

_Hello again, it's me, Alex. So, that's my friend Sara. She will be two years old in a week. Her parents, Ann and Fred are really cool! They are the best friends of my parents since they were children. Sara was born two weeks after me. She is nice with everyone and everyone to her. She can be really emotional, but tough at the same time. She loves helping others in need. We fight many times, but I always manage to make her do whatever I want. I know she cares for me as much as I care for her, and that mean A LOT._

End of chapter, review plz. Reviews helps writers improve.

Farla: Almost every of your complains are countered if you just think that Alex is making the introduction and he likes talking too much. About Brill not being a part of the empire as you said because it's distant. Being distant doesn't mean it isn't a part of the empire. Ivara is supposed to be the world. Brill is on the far Northwest, while Halka is on the far Southeast. So that makes them distant and part of the empire. About the year's problem, I only did that so people don't think Alex is a baby. Finally, about the word violation, I'd like to thank you. You are right and I changed it when I was able to.

Starwings1: I am really sorry, but as you can see, there are two Eevees already... I can't get a third one on the story. I am really sorry.


	3. Heat of battle

**CHAPTER 3:HEAT OF BATTLE  
**

"No, you can't do that! We wanna fight too, let us out!" Sara was yelling.

"You know, yelling isn't gonna help us get out of here." Alex told her.

"Oh, yeah? So what are we gonna do brainiac?" She asked sarcastically.

"We are going to stay here of course, what else can we do?" He asked her.

"You are kidding me right? There is no way I am gonna stay here!" She spat angrily.

"Actually, yeah, I am kidding you." He said and smiled.

"Oh...So you came up with a plan to get out of here?" Sara asked him.

"Of course I. We have a window you know." He said.

"What?! You know, it's about five meters high. We'll break something if we jump down." She pointed.

"No we won't." He said as he looked out of the window. "Your mother is almost out of sight. As soon as she does, we are going to jump down."

"You are a lunatic! Alex, come to your senses, you are going to get hurt!" She yelled as she started freaking out.

"No, you come to your senses!" He yelled at her angrily. "We want to be strong and fight the strongest. In battles, some attacks are going to sent us flying. If we can't even jump a five-meters high, we won't be allowed to call ourselves strong Pokémon." He finished.

"...You are right. But still, it pretty high." She said, as she looked down. "Think we can do it?" She asked him.

"Ok, listen up. I am going to jump first, if I don't make it in one piece, then you stay up here and don't come down. If I am ok, then you're going to jump, and I'll catch you. No sweat, right?" He asked and smiled.

"Ok I guess...but be careful, please!" She said.

"Ok, here I go, break a leg!" He joked and jumped down.

000

"Fred, on your left!" Jason yelled at him. Without wasting a second, he jumped and used Flamethrower against the incoming Sneasel. It hit him straight on, causing him to fall back.

"Thanks partner." Fred said, as he charged a Leaf Blade. He then rushed towards the dazed Sneasel and stroke it down head on. The Sneasel fell down unconscious.

"There is no end, they keep coming back!" Nali yelled as a Mankey, a Meowth, a Pineco and an Elekid charged towards them.

The Elekid smirked and shot a thundershock towards Ann, who dodged it the last second. Quickly, Fred used Razor Leaf towards the Elekid, hitting him. The Meowth attacked Fred with Fury Swipes, making him yell in pain. Almost instantly, Jason hit Meowth with quick attack, saving Fred from taking more damage. A yell from behind Jason, warned him of the incoming Karate Chop, although it was too late to evade it. It hit him, sending him flying towards a nearby tree.

"Jason!" Nali yelled and rushed by his side, only to be hit by Pineco's Take Down. She groaned in pain as she struggled to get up.

"Guys, don't be reckless, we need to concentrate!" Ann yelled as she attacked Meowth with Aurora Beam, sending it flying towards Elekid's ThunderPunch, resulting in knocking it unconscious.

"Jason, can you stand?" Fred asked.

"Yeah, they'll need more than that to knock me out!" He said as he slowly got up.

"What about you Nali?" He asked the Glaceon.

"Sure thing!" She said as she got up.

"Ok then, it's four versus three, and we are clearly stronger than them." Ann said. As soon as she did, a Combusken came to the aid.

"You had to say that, didn't you?" Fred asked as she looked at her. She smirked.

A new battle started raging. The Elekid attacked Ann, using Thundershock, this time thought, it hit her, forcing a really loud yell of pain out of her and knocking her uncoscious. Fred lost it and charged at Elekid with Leaf Blade, striking him with great force, knocking him out. He was so obsessed with striking Elekid, he didn't see the combusken that charged towards him and stroked him with an almighty Flamethrower close range, knocking him out instantly. Jason quickly run towards Pineco and bite him. The Fire Fang was too strong and Pineco was knocked out immediately. The Mankey tried to attack Jason from behind one more time. He didn't expect the Ice Beam from Nali, that froze him solid.

"Thanks honey!" Jason told her and turned to face the Combusken.

"Anytime!" She said back, as she focused on Combusken as well.

"Well, looks like it's gonna be me against a couple. It's really sweet to think that you'll die together." The Combusken said.

"Not gonna happen." Jason said seriously.

"We'll see about that!" The combasken yelled.

He charged forward, using a Focus Punch. Jason avoided it and readied an Iron Tail. Combuasken dodged it and used Quick Attack against Nali. The Glaceon countered with Sand Attack and then hit him with Ice Fang on his left side. The Combusken yelled, but quickly used Focus Punch and threw Nali Flying. Jason rushed with Quick Attack and hit him on the back. Combusken thought, stood on his feet and charged with a Sky Uppercut. Jason dodged it and used Iron Tail, hitting him on his left side. Combusken cried in pain as he felt his ribs break. He didn't gave up thought, and he charged with Double Kick, hitting Jason right on the nose, dazing him. He quickly run forward and threw him a Focus Punch, followed by a Sky Uppercut. Jason could see his opponent smiling evilly as he turned his back on him and walked towards Nali, and then, everything turned black as he hit the ground.

000

"See? I told you we would be fine." Alex said as the two of them were running towards the raging battle.

"I'd never have guessed it would be that easy." Sara said happily. They were out of the house, so now they could fight alongside their parents.

"You know, if we had stayed home, we would be the only ones not fighting." Alex pointed out. They were the only children around here and even the elders would fight.

"You are right, but at the moment, let's just focus on finding our parents." She said. Then she thought about it. "Alex, are you sure it's a good idea to go to our parents?" She asked.

"Yeah, just think that they need to see that we are strong. If they don't, we'll never get to fight with their permission." He said.

"Well, well...Look at that." A voice said. Both of them looked some meters ahead of them. A Cubone was standing there, smirking at them.

"You are not from around here. That means you are one of the attackers!" Alex said and smiled. "Ready for our first real fight?" Alex whispered at Sara. She nodded.

"This will be fun!" The Cubone said.

Alex charged forward and used Tackle. The Cubone easily dodged and brought it's club down to strike him. Alex rolled over and evaded the attack. At the same time, Sara used Quick Attack and hit Cubone right on his chest, making him back away. Alex, used Tackle one more time and hit Cubone right on his head. Cubone fall back in order to avoid more hits. He lifted his gaze and looked at them. His eyes were filled with anger. He charged towards Sara using Rage. She side-stepped and evaded it, but Cubone turned and swung his club. Just in the nick of time , Alex used Quick Attack and got her out of the way. Alex gained speed as he charged towards him, side-stepped and hit him on his right side. Cubone took the hit and fired a Focus Punch. Alex narrowly dodged, while Sara, used Tackle full force hitting him on the back. Cubone fall down unconscious.

"Did we do it?" Sara asked, psyched up.

"Yeap, we defeated our opponent!" Alex yelled happily.

"I say we better get going. Come on!" Sara said as she started running. They kept going straight, till they reached the main square, just in time to see a Glaceon being thrown to a tree. Alex recognized his mother.

"Wait!" He said and he motioned for her to go behind a nearby tree. They started climbing it. When they reached the top, they saw a Combusken fighting with Jason. Many Pokémon lied there unconscious, including Fred, Ann and Nali.

"Oh, no!" Sara said as the Combusket hit Jason with a combination of Focus Punch and Sky Uppercut. Soon, Jason fell unconscious, and the Combusken headed towards Nali.

"Sara, no time to waste! I am going to distract this guy. I want you to be as guile as you can and strike him down full force when you get the chance. That guy defeated both my parents together, he isn't weak, that's for sure!" Alex told her and he jumped down.

"Hey you, ugly!" Alex told Combusken. The Pokémon turned to face him.

"What is a kid doing here, go back to your room and play with your toys." He said.

"You'd wish! There is no way I am gonna let you hurt my mom." Alex said, trying to buy time.

"Oh, so this Flareon and Greceon have a child. Then I'll kill you first." The Combusken said. Alex felt a chill run down his spine. He knew this guy was dangerous. He could feel it.

"You can try. To be honest, I don't think you'll have any luck with that!" Alex told him with steady voice, even thought his heart was beating really fast.

The Combusken smirked and charged with high speed towards him. Alex leaped out of the way, a split second before the Fire Punch could hit him. He tried to counter with a Tackle, but his opponent was just too fast. Combusken let out an evil laugh and attacked with Focus Punch. Alex tried to evade, but was hit and sent flying. He hit the ground hard and moaned in pain. 'I've never felt so bad in my whole life', he thought as he got to his feet. He then charged forward using Quick Attack. Combusken readied a Fire Punch and brought it down on Alex. Fortunately, Alex side-stepped, evaded the attack and hit him full force right on his left side. Combusken yelled in pain and shock, and he fell to his knees. He let out an angry yell and attacked Alex with a Sky Uppercut. Alex was hit and struggled to get on his feet. Combusken had angry look in his eyes.

"You brat! You hit me and now you are going to pay. I am gonna kill you slowly and painfully." He was blinded by his rage and he didn't notice Sara, as she charged towards him with Quick Attack and hit him on his back really hard.

"No threats please." She said as she got next to her friend to check on him. "Are you all right?" She asked.

"Don't bother with me! Go and attack him while he is still dazed!" He told her while he felt his legs regaining some of their strength.

"Oh, right!" She said and used Quick Attack on him.

"No you don't!" Combusken yelled and attacked her with Brick Break. Sara crushed hard on the ground and fell unconscious. "Looks like new names are added on my deaths list. And all of them are getting first priority." He said and laughed.

"I can't believe you hit her so hard...I am gonna make you pay!"

000

Sara woke up. She felt her whole body aching. She tried to get up, but was quickly down again. She didn't know what was going on. She remembered her parents unconscious, as well as Alex's. She remembered Alex battling and losing to that Combusken, and she remembered as she joined the fight and was knocked out by Combusken's Brick Break. She must have just waken up. She tried speaking, asking what had happened and how her parents and friends were. The only thing that came out was a moan of pain. Then, he heard a chair moving and a silhouette covered the light.

"Sara, you are awake!" A familiar voice said.

"Mom? Are you ok? How is everyone?" She managed to ask.

"I am all right, just worn out by the Thundershock. Your father is minor wounded, but he'll be as good as new in a couple of days. Nali is now completely recovered. Jason is heavily wounded, but he isn't going to have any permanent damage. You have a mended broken skull...You are lucky to be alive." She said as tears started forming in her eyes.

"How is Alex? Please mom, tell me!" She asked worried as her best friend wasn't mentioned.

"He is just exhausted. He doesn't have any major wound. The doctor said he'll awake any minute now..." She stopped. "Tell me..." She started.

"Hm, what?" Sara asked.

"What happened last night? Jason said that he was the last to be knocked out and that Combusken was still standing. What happened?" She asked.

"I don't really know. We were hiding, watching as Mr. Jason fall unconscious. Then Alex told me to hide while he distracted him, and when I find a good opportunity to attack him full force. Alex got hit and struggled to get up, so I charged at Combusken and after one attack, he used Brick Break and that's that." She said. Suddenly, Fred and Nali burst in.

"Sara! Are you all right?" Fred asked.

"Yeah dad, no need for you to worry." She told him.

"What were you thinking?!" Fred asked her furious. "You could have gotten yourself killed!" He yelled at her.

"So could you! You know that even Mr. Jason wasn't able to defeat that guys, what would have happened if all four of you had died?! What would Alex and I do then?!" She asked in anger. Fred stopped and dropped his gaze.

"Someone has to do it Sara." Nali told her. "You are just too young to fight grownups like them..."

"Ms. Nali, Alex and I defeated a grownup Cubone together without getting hit at all." She said. That surprised all three of them.

"Really?" Ann asked her.

"Yeah. Alex and I have been battling almost every day up the mountain." She said. That shocked them even more.

"Anything else involving fighting and skills we don't know?" Fred asked.

"No that's all." She said.

"So what happened?" Fred asked.

"She doesn't know, she was knocked out before Combusken." Ann said.

"That only leaves Alex. We just have to wait till he is awake." Nali said, but it was clear she was worried about her son's health. Everyone, though , wanted to know what had happened...

_I am soooooooooooo excited! I just had my first real battle, and I was victorious! Although it was two against one, that Combusken was tough! I can't believe that we survived There is something strange about him...and I'm gonna find out exactly what it is._

End of chapter. Review please! Reviews help the writers improve. This is the first time I've described a battle. I have posted a poll, visit and tell me your opinion.

Everyone: When I started writing the story, I wanted it to be in the period of castles, knights etc. Then, I had an idea. I bet many of you knows Final Fantasy. It's a series of PS games with Knights, Castles, Magic etc. In the game, there is some advanced technology, like airships, computers and some others 21th centuries' technology. So I decided I'll add some of that. I hope it turns out well and that you like it.


	4. Questions

**CHAPTER 4:QUESTIONS  
**

The ceiling was clean and brown. That was the first thing Alex realized when he opened his eyes. His vision was still a little blurry. He tried to stand up, but he couldn't even lift his paw. 'Just great', he signed. His chest was killing him, but the only reason he couldn't stand, was his exhaustion. He tried one more time, but he felt a massive amount of pain all over his chest, which forced a moan out of him.

"Alex? Are you awake? Finally!" A Chansey appeared in front of him.

"Doctor Suzie? Where am I, what happened?" Alex asked.

"You and Sara left the house and joined the battle. Sara was hurt badly on the head, but she is ok now." She added quickly, as she saw his expression. "You have a huge bruise on your chest, but otherwise you are fine." She finished.

"Yeah, I had a really strong hit on my chest and trust me, I can feel the pain" He told her and smirked. "By the way, how long have I been sleeping?"

"For about three days now. I am going to tell your parents and your friends that you are awake. I am sure they'll be glad." She said and headed for the door.

"Doctor, wait!" Alex told her. She stopped and turned to face him.

"Yeah?" She asked.

"Can Eevees learn Mirror Move?" Alex asked slowly.

"Hm? No Alex, I don't think so. Anything else?" She asked him.

"No just that, thanks." He told her.

"Ok then, if you don't mind, I'll be going." She said and left.

000

"I am glad! I thought he'd never wake up. I can't believe I left him to go check on Jason and he woke up!" Nali said.

"Yeah...but you must be glad he is ok now. " She said.

"Suzie, are you all right?" Fred asked her.

"Hm? Yeah, it's just that Alex asked me something really weird..." She told them.

"What do you mean? What did he ask?" Ann asked her.

"He asked if Eevees can learn how to use Mirror Move." She replied.

"What? Yeah, this really is weird. Why would he ask something like that?" Nali agreed.

"Why don't we just ask him?" Sara suggested.

"Yeah, we can do that." Fred said as he knocked the door.

"It's open! At least I think so." A voice said from inside. Nali opened the door and entered, rushing towards her son.

"Alex, how are you?" She asked and hugged him.

"I am fine, except that I have a pain on the chest. I am a bit exhausted as well."

"Glad to hear that. Alex, I know you need to rest, but, can you please tell us what happened? I mean, all of us were down, while that Combasken was still able to fight...They said they found you both next to us, and Combusken was crushed on a tree." Fred asked.

"Well...When I saw Sara being hit so hard by a Brick Break, I used all the power I had and knocked him with Quick Attack on his left side. I knew he was aching on that spot, you must have hit him many times there. He crushed on the tree you found him and he fainted." Alex told them.

"Really? I guess that Jason had exhausted him a lot." Ann said. "What do you think?" She asked.

"Maybe, just think that..." All four of the grownups started a conversation about how injured the Combusken had been for Alex to defeat him.

"What happened?" Sara whispered, as she leaned towards Alex. He frowned at her.

"What are you talking about?" He asked her.

"Come on, Combusken had a lot of energy and a Quick Attack can't have beaten him up. Plus, there must be a reason you asked about Mirror Move. Spill the beans." She told him.

"Ok." He said as he leaned forwards to see if the others were still talking. "I'll tell you everything.

_Flashback_

_"I can't believe you hit her so hard...I am gonna make you pay!"__ Alex let his instincts take over. Then, with speed he didn't know he possessed, he run towards his opponent and stroke him with a glowing paw. Combusken, surprised by the strong attack on his chest, was sent flying and crushed on a tree. He tried to get up, but he spit some blood and fall unconscious, leaving a stunned Alex looking at his paw. Suddenly, he felt really exhausted and he fell down. He could feel his senses abandon him._

_End of Flashback_

"What's your point?" Sara asked looking at him worried.

"I am sure the attack I used was Focus Punch...But I can't use Mirror Move or Focus Punch so..." He said and let out a sign.

"I know...Are you a hundred percent sure thought?" She asked him.

"Of course I am!" He told her and gritted his teeth.

"Alex...what are you doing?" Nali asked as she looked at him. Alex instantly stopped.

"Nothing." He said and smiled. "By the way, what happened to that Combusken?" He asked.

"We tied him up and he is under 24 hours surveillance. We are going to interrogate him when he wakes up." Fred said.

"Ok. Wait, where is my dad?!" Alex asked suddenly realizing that his father was missing.

"He is on another room." Nali said. "He is a bit more wounded than the rest of us, so he still needs to stay in bed."

"But he's gonna be ok, right?" He asked worriedly.

"Yeah, he will be just fine." Suzie said. She turned to the others. "Ok, let's leave him get some rest."

"Oh, almost forgot! Alex, why did you ask about Mirror Move?" Nali asked him.

"No reason, just wanted to know if there was a chance I could use his attacks to counter him. It would have been cool." He said.

"Ok, have a nice long rest. We'll come and see you tomorrow." She said and all of them left the room. Alex was confused. 'Why didn't see yell at me? Well, I can't complain!'

000

"So, how is Alex" The Flareon asked his wife that had just entered the room.

"He can feel the bruise he has over his chest and he is a little exhausted. Other than that he is fine." The Glaceon told him.

"Good. The Combusken is still unconscious, right?" He asked.

"Yeah, looks like he is damaged a lot from our fight." She answered.

"Speaking of which, what happened, did Alex tell you?" He asked.

"He said that he used a Quick Attack on his left side, where you broke his ribs, and he defeated him." She said.

"Really? That means that we had almost finished him, right?" Jason asked.

"There's one more thing thought. Alex asked if Eevees can learn Mirror Move...He said that it would be cool to copy that Combusken's attacks, but I don't know..." She honestly told him.

"Then why do you think he asked?" Jason asked calmly.

"Beats me. I just can figure that out. I thought that together we could." She said and got her hands on his.

"Are you all right darling?" He asked her.

"It's just that...Jason, do you think we are good parents?" She asked him.

"Of course! We may not be the best, but I consider myself a good parent. Why do you ask." He asked her.

"Alex has grown up so much and we hadn't digested it yet. He managed to defeat Combusken, don't tell me you weakened him, still...He is lying to us." She said and started crying.

"Oh, come on, don't cry..." He said and tried to comfort her. "He just wants to be a bit independent..." He gave it a thought for a moment. "Maybe he wants to saw us that he has grown. He may have rushed there just to open our eyes. Maybe it's time to have a sirius talk to our son." He said and he signed.

"Yeah, I believe that would be good for all of us." She said as she placed her head over his shoulder and hugged him. A knock on the door ruined the moment. They quickly broke the hug and Jason yelled.

"Who is it?" He asked.

"It's me Fred, may I come in?" The voice of Fred was heard behind the door.

"Yeah Fred, come on in." Jason said. As soon as he said that, Fred opened the door and entered the room.

"Hey partner. I bring good and bad news. The Combusken is awake and wants to speak to us. He said that he'll only cooperate if we brink Alex with us..." Fred said.

"No way! There is absolutely no way..." Nali started, but was soon stopped by Jason's hand.

"What did we just say?" He asked her. "Besides, Combusken is still weak and tied up, while there will be four adults there to make sure he doesn't get hurt." Jason finished. Nali nodded.

"Yeah, you are right." He turned to Fred "We'll see him tomorrow, tonight we all need to rest."

"I am with you on this one!" A voice said from behind Fred. Ann entered the room and looked at them. "So let's get a long rest and be fresh for tomorrow." She finished.

"I'll be leaving you then." Nali told Jason, but he didn't let her hand.

"No, please, stay here for tonight." He told her.

"Ok..."Nali said and sat on the chair.

"Ok, we'll see you tomorrow then. Oh, one more thing, Sara wants to stay with Alex tonight. Want us to take her by force?" Ann asked them.

"No, I think that Alex would like some company. Don't worry, we'll make sure to check on them once in a while." Nali said.

"I hope they don't do anything reckless. A third child would be good for the village, but not while they are that young." Fred joked, making Jason laugh and earning an angry look from both girls on the room.

000

"So, you are telling me that you used Focus Punch. But Alex, Eevees can't use Focus Punch. Same goes for Mirror Move. You must have made a mistake." She told him for like a hundredth time.

"Fine, don't tell me later on that one Quick Attack couldn't have knocked him out, k?" He asked angrily.

"Don't get mad, please. It is weird, come on, don't you think?" He asked him.

"You think I don't know? I saw it, I felt it. It's the truth, I know it sounds weird, but that's what happened." He told her.

"Ok, let's just forget about it then. It's an important matter for discussion, but we'll just gonna fight about it so." She told him.

"Ok then. I can't believe that they are going to let both of us in while they interrogate that Combusken!" He said.

"Yeah, now that you mention it, it does sound strange. Do you think it has anything to do with the fact that you defeated him?" She asked.

"I guess. Maybe it's one of the conditions he demanded in order to cooperate. Or maybe, it's because our parents finally understood that we grew up and we are not children anymore." He said and smiled.

"It's a possibility." Sara agreed. Then, she yawned.

"Oups, looks like someone is tired!" Alex joked.

"Yeah. Let's get some sleep, we are gonna need it." She said and she tried to get comfortable on the chair.

"Why don't you sleep with me on the bed. I am sure we can both sleep here, and we can have our own space." He suggested.

"Are you sure?" She asked. "I mean, you still need to rest and I don't want to disturb you..." She said.

"Chose, sleeping on the chair and wake up every once in a while, or jump on and we both wake up tomorrow morning refreshed. Come on, I am not gonna wake you up at six." He joked.

000

"Hey, Jason, Nali, wake up, it's time for you to go." Suzie told them as she opened the door and then closed it, leaving for another morning duty. Nali slowly opened her eyes and got up.

"Hey, Jason, are you all right? If you can't get up we'll just do it without you, really." She told him.

"No way! I am going to be there while he tells us what we want to know." Jason said.

"I am going to wake up the other two, be right back." She said and she left for Alex's room. She opened the door and stood there looking at the sight in front of her. 'Fred, you are so dead.' She thought.

"Alex, Sara, what are you doing?!" She yelled at them as she headed for the bed and woke them both up.

"Don't bother saying 'Good Morning'. I can judge from the way you woke us up it won't be." Alex said.

"What were you doing sleeping on the same bed?" She demanded.

"What people usually do on beds?" Alex asked sarcastically. He looked at his mother and said. "Sleeping, what else?"

"Hope so, for the sake of both of you." 'And Fred's' She told them and walked out. "Get ready, we got a job to do."

"Oh yeah! We are going to interrogate that Combusken." Sara said. "Good morning." She said and giggled.

000

"Who are you?" Jason asked the Combusken.

"My name is Blaze. I'd say 'Nice too meet you', but it isn't" He answered.

"You are not ordinary bandits, am I right?" Ann asked the Pokémon.

"Bandits? Who said we are bandits?" He asked sarcastically.

"Then what are you? Why have you targeted our village?" Fred carried on. Blaze looked at Alex and smiled.

"Tell me, have you ever heard of 'Order of the Dragon'?" He asked. That made Jason and Fred freeze. Both of them had their eye wide open.

"What's wrong you guys?!" Nali asked in fear.

"The 'Order of the Dragon'...is Marcus's commanders. If that Combusken belongs to it, then it means Brill has been targeted by the Royal Family..." Fred said.

"That's why you wanted for Alex to be here, ha?" Jason asked in anger.

"Exactly. I wanted to see the fear in his eyes." Blaze laughed evilly. "I wanted to see him suffering."

"Why?!" Nali asked him.

"Because he is the reason I failed. He is the reason I'll die!" Blaze yelled angrily. "Soon, another commander will be here. This time, they won't bring the recruits. They will kill all of you, as well as me for failing on my task. Live your life as long as you can. Soon there will be nothing left of you!" Suddenly, a Raichu entered the room.

"To arms! A whole army of Pokémon is visible on the horizon. They'll be here in five hours the most!" She said in panic.

"Quickly, get ready! Alex, you are allowed to fight, but you have to promise that you'll stay close." Jason said. Alex smiled.

"I promise!" He said. He turned to Fred and asked. "What about Sara?"

"I don't want her to join the battle, but I know I can't hold her back." Fred said and signed.

"We need to barricade the village. We need to plan our strategy..." Nali said. "This won't be easy…"

End of chapter. Review please! Reviews help the writers improve.

Everyone, happy new year! I want to thank all my reviewers, as well as to ask for those that like my story, but don't bother review the chapters to do so. Reviews help the story progress.


	5. Village under siege!

**CHAPTER 5:VILLAGE UNDER SIEGE!  
**

The peaceful village of Brill, had suddenly turned into a fortress. Surrounding the area was a rushed built wooden wall. Every house's roofs were covered by thick ice, created by the Pokémon to prevent them from catching fire. About a hundred Pokémon able to attack from long range and strong against flying types were placed all over the wall. Two hundred Pokémon that were good in physical combat were standing in front of the gate. About fifty flying type Pokémon were already up, ready to attack any approaching enemy. Two special teams of fifty were sent up the mountain, to prevent any possible assault from it. Alex and Sara weren't even close to their parents like they had promised. They were leading those teams to prepare their ambush, as they knew the mountain better than anyone

Jason and Fred were in the front line, as they were the best fighters of the village. It had been almost four hours since they left the interrogation to prepare the village. All of the villagers were proud of the defense they established in so little time. They had finished before the enemy could be seen from the entrance of the village. That thought, let them waiting for the enemy to appear and the battle to start. Jason knew better than anyone that waiting for a battle is far worse than the battle itself. He had been in many battles in the past, and many of them were lost, but he had survived. This time it was different. He didn't have experienced fighters by his side, but Pokémon that had almost never been in a real battle.

"I never thought that we would have a siege here... " Fred told him.

"Neither did I. Hope I could say 'Like old times', but it isn't" Jason said.

"Trust me, I was thinking about that since the time Blaze told us about the attack from the second commander." He said. "I thought fighting was the only way, but now I think we should have left the village...You know I am not a coward, but I don't think the fight will end well."

"That thought crossed my mind as well. But there are some Pokémon that can't move fast. If we had retreated, then we would have been chased." Jason said.

"How many do you think they have sent?" Fred asked him. If it was really the Order of the Dragon, then he knew there would be a lot.

"Clearly more than five times our numbers." Jason answered calmly. "Some of them will be really strong. We need to concentrate if we want to win. Fortunately, Blaze removed some of our rust." He said.

"I am not really worried about us. I am happy the girls stayed inside. I am really worried about the Eevs." Fred told him and turned to look up the mountain, as if he could see his daughter and her best friend.

"They know the mountain like the back of their hands, if they run into trouble they will hide somewhere. They aren't that stupid to stay and fight...I hope." Jason said and signed.

"If we ever get out of this alive, let's keep a closer eye on them, k?" Fred told him and smiled.

"Everyone get ready, soon the enemy will be here." A voice from the sky told them.

"How long do you think Drek?" Jason asked the Honchkrow.

"About 15 minutes." Drek answered back.

"This is it partner, get ready to rock n roll!" Fred said and got a battle position.

000

"Looks like it's a rough battle." Alex said as he looked down at the Pokémon fighting.

"Keep it down Alex, I promised your father I'll protect you, but if you talk so loud and move so much, the enemies will find us." A Parasect told him.

"You are right, sorry Sam." Alex apologized at her.

"Ok, now stand still and if you want to say something, whisper." She told him.

"What do you think? Is the battle on our favor or not?" He asked her quietly.

"I don't know...I can see that the wall is unscratched and I haven't seen any flying type reach from the air. That means we are holding really well." She answered as quite as him.

"I am sure they are going to pass from this opening to attack. They will try the one on the other side as well." He said.

"I know Alex; this is like the eighth time you say that." Sam told him. "We are expecting them any moment now, so keep quite."

After about ten minutes that looked like hours, Alex could hear the sound of light footsteps. He poked Sam, and when she turned to face him, he pointed at the opening. She nodded and turned back, giving the signal for the rest. When the enemies started appearing, she charged forward unleashing a Stun Spore. The enemies were expecting an ambush, but many were forced to breathe the powder. Suddenly, a Haze attack was shot from the back, towards Sam and her group. A Sand attack from a Pokémon behind Alex cleared some of the air, allowing them to catch their breath. Soon, they were back on the attack. Alex was forced by Sam to stay behind her, while she used Giga Drain against a Graveler charging with Rollout, knocking it out cold. A Charmeleon attacked with Fire Spin, but Sam grabbed Alex and moved out of the way. She then attacked him with Frustration hitting hit strong and knocking him out. Alex found an opening and left Sam, charging at a Buizel with Quick Attack. The Buizel dodged and used Aqua Jet, smashing on Alex, sending him towards Sam. She caught him and retreated on the back of their group.

"Alex, are you alright? Alex, talk to me!" She said as she shacked him to keep him awake.

"For god's sake Sam, I just got hit by an Aqua Jet! I am not damaged at all." He yelled at her as he got to his feet.

"Don't do that again! I want you to stay here and don't even consider joining the battle!" She yelled back and left to attack again, leaving Alex behind.

000

"Sara, run! Go and find the others, we need reinforcements now. We can't hold them off for much longer!" A Persian yelled at her.

"I can't leave you behind!" Sara yelled back, as she dodged a Water Gun from a Croconaw.

"You have to, if you don't, we'll wipe and they'll invade the village. If that happens, we lose!" The Persian told her. "Stop complaining and go!" She said and used an Iron Tail on the Croconaw.

"Ok…Please, survive till I get back!" Sara said and started running towards the village. 'Alex…' She thought as she got closer to the village 'how is your group going? Have you defeated the enemy? On second thought, have they even attacked you?' She was lost in her thought, and she didn't notice the Pokémon that was behind her. It caught her and placed it's paw on her mouth, preventing her from yelling.

"Be quiet. We were overpowered and they captured almost our entire group." Alex told her quietly. "I am the only one that has escaped captivity. They are heading for the village." He finished.

"Then what are we going to do?! Wait, what about the other group?!" She asked him in despair.

"We must get down without being seen and fast. We know the mountains better that they do. As for your group, I have figured out that they don't kill, they just capture." He said.

"Then let's hurry. We have to warn the others before it's too late!" She said and started running, followed by Alex. They went down the hill stealthy and fast, and they reached the entrance of the village. There, they witnessed a horrible sight.

"No…it can't be." Alex said in shock. In front of him, there were a dozen of unconscious Pokémon. Standing over them, was Blaze and a Charmeleon.

000

"Jason, what are we going to do?" Fred asked him as he used Razor Leaf on a nearby Onix.

"Keep fighting, we can't let anyone inside the village! Get down!" He yelled as he fired a Flamethrower on the incoming Farfetch'd.

"They have no end! For every Pokémon we knock out, another one appears. We can't keep fighting for ever…" Fred said as he dodged a Rock Throw and countered with Energy Ball.

"I am out of ideas! I can't think anything else than keep fighting and leave the village retreating." Jason said.

"There must be something we can do!" Fred yelled angrily. Suddenly, an explosion was heard, getting the attention of both of them.

"What the heck?!" Jason cursed as he saw a part of the wall fall apart.

"Don't tell me they have Dragon types with them!" Fred said more to himself. Soon, a Charizard and a Salamence appeared as they started using Flamethrower and destroying the wall.

"We can let them keep on like that! Fred, I got your back, don't fail me!" Jason said as he stood in front of Fred defensively.

"No problem partner!" Fred said as he started storing energy from the setting sun. 'Good thing they appeared now and not after the sunrise.' While Fred stored sunlight, Jason used and Iron Tail on a Luxio that charged towards them.

"Dear little Dragons, I have a little surprise for you!" Fred said as he unleashed a really powerful Solarbeam straight towards them. The Charizard was hit and crushed into Salamence, as they both ended up falling on the river.

"Nice shot!" Jason praised.

"Well, thank you. Now, let's keep those rookies away!" Fred said with renewed confidence, as he charged towards the enemy lines.

"Right behind you!" Jason said and rushed to the aid.

000

"Faster! If we don't hurry out we are doomed!" Nali yelled at Ann as they run towards the exit of the exit of the village, right towards the ongoing battle.

"Oh, no you don't!" Blaze yelled as he used quick attack towards Ann. She barely managed to dodge and she used Sand Attack, hoping to buy some time.

"Forgetting someone?" A Charmeleon said as she attacked with Slash. Nali used Iron Tail to deflect the attack and she begun running with Ann as fast as they could.

"How on Earth did they use Water Absorb?!" Ann wandered as she run towards the exit.

"We'll discuss about this later, just run!" Nali yelled.

"That's what I am doing!" Ann spat. They finally reached the exit and jumped down, right before a Fire Blast passed by them.

"Where are Jason and Fred?!" Nali asked in agony, trying to find her husband and friend.

"There, follow me!" Ann said as she started running towards the front line. Jason and Fred were busy battling with four Pokémon at the same time.

"Look out below!" Fred yelled as he jumped and used Magical Leaf, hitting all four of them straight on.

"Never lose sight of your opponent!" Yelled Jason, as he used Lava Plume, knocking all of them out.

"Glad I was in the air!" Fred said as he got down.

"Jason, Fred!" Nali shouted as she run towards them with Ann by her side.

"Girls, what are you doing here?" Fred asked them.

"A Charmeleon , name Claire, came and rescued Blaze! By the time we got there, they had defeated almost all of the pokemon that stayed inside. When we tried to attack them, we found out they had somehow gained Water Absorb. We run here to warn you." Ann said.

"That's not good at all! Now what partner? We've lost quite an amount of defenders, plus we can't retreat back to the village." Fred asked.

"I can't think of tactics, the only thing I can think is Alex and Sara! They are still up the mountain!" Jason said as he started losing his calmness.

"Both teams have been captured by the enemy. Don't worry thought. They won't kill anyone, unless they have to…" Nali told him with her head down.

"How do you know?" Jason asked her, trying hard to regain himself.

"It's something Blaze told us…"

_Flashback_

"_What happened here?!" Nali asked as she looked all the unconscious Pokémon._

"_Let's go help them! We can't leave them like that, they may die!"Ann said as she rushed towards the Pokémon._

"_Don't worry, they won't die. We don't kill anyone unless it's necessary. I would say the exact opposite actually." A voice said, making Nali and Ann look at the female Charmeleon that walked towards them._

"_Who are you, why are you here?!" The both asked in union._

"_She is Claire, and she is here to save me." Another voice, familiar this time said. They turned to face Blaze._

"_Well, you are both going down! Let's see how you can handle a double disadvantage!" Ann said and used Hydro Pump towards Blaze, who didn't even moved a muscle._

"_That feels good. It's nice having Water Absorb, isn't it Claire? You have to do better than that and fast. You see, both of your teams have been overpowered and captured." He said and smiled._

_End of Flashback_

"That's good news." Fred said as he signed in releaf.

"Ok, let's have a plan here…" Jason said as he started thinking. "Ok, Ann, use the river to get passed them and try to find a place where we can go and set up a camp. Fred, split the remaining Pokémon into groups, each group must have a strong one. Nali, wait by the river for Ann to get back, and lead each group with Ann towards the place to set up the camp. I'll stay and destruct them. Anyone have something to say?" He asked.

"Just one thing: Let's Rock n Roll!" Fred said and smiled.

000

"What are we going to do now?!" Alex asked in anger, as he was unable to think of anything.

"Don't worry, I have an idea, let's go quickly to the waterfall!" Sara said.

"To the waterfall? What are we going to do there?" He asked curiously. Sara smiled.

"When I fell in the water about a week ago, I saw an opening . When I got there, it led into a small cave. Meaning, there is a cave with an underwater entrance. I am absolutely sure they won't find us there." She said.

"Alright! Let's hurry then, the more we stay exposed, the less chances we have of escaping." Alex said and started running.

000

"At last! I was beginning to think something had happened to you." Nali said as her friend got out of the water.

"Don't celebrate just yet…I have but news." She said.

"Oh no…What's wrong?" Nali asked with a worried look on her face.

"They are really smart. They have created a circle around the village. They got us completely surrounded…"

End of Chapter. I am really sorry about the things I am going to say, but there is no other chose. Why, while so many are reading "Bound for Glory", it gets only 2-3 reviews per chapter? There is a reason at the end of every chapter, there is the Review this Story/Chapter. I know 7 people that read the story. Only Fallen Vanguard , G.F.T.W and DevoTheMadCashCow(Except from 4th) are reviewing every chapter.

Starwings1: You have only reviewed to summit an OC and to change something on her. If you read 3rd and 4th chapter, why didn't you review it?

EmeraldCelebi13: I have no idea why you stopped reviewing…Please start again, or at least send me a PM and tell me why you stopped.

Winged BlackFox - Mr. Redgrave: You just summit an OC and stop reviewing? If the people that have given me OC don't review to help the story, then who will?

Fallen Vanguard - G.F.T.W –DevoTheMadCashCow: Thanks a lot for your reviews. They really help a lot.

Now, I really enjoy writing the story, but sometimes I don't feel like writing, but I have to. You know why? So I can give you guys a chapter every week. If you don't appreciate it, then I will just stop doing it. Those of you who have written a story knows how stressful it can get sometimes. I really consider stopping the story as it is, so please, help me a little…Just 1 minute of your life to write your opinion… Thanks and Sorry.


	6. Battle for survival

**CHAPTER 6: THE BATTLE FOR SURVIVAL  
**

"You can't be serious! You mean we have no way of retreating at all?!" Nali asked her with wide eyes.

"They have placed Pokémon with good night vision all around the mountain. That means we have to beat them and pass through. That completely ruins our silent retreat." She said and frowned.

"That means you found a spot?" Nali asked her.

"Yeah, but as I said, we have to battle our way there." Ann replied

"We have to tell Jason right now!" Nali said and started running in search of her husband. After a couple of minutes, she found him as he defeated a Machamnp. He spotted her and run towards her.

"Is Ann back? Is there any place we can camp?" Jason asked her.

"There is a place, yeah. There is a huge problem thought…" She explained the situation, making Jason to curse out loud.

"Damn it, go find Fred! Tell him to send a group with the strongest we have to create a break on their lines. Tell him that he must lead that group and get Ann with him as well. I want you to continue what Fred started, go!" He said and rushed into battle again. Nali went back and soon found Fred with four groups of Pokémon.

"Fred, change of plans! Jason wants you to get a team with the strongest Pokémon we have."

"What? If we place all our strong fighters on one group, the rest won't have enough protection." He stated.

"We have to defeat some enemies and keep an opening, get Ann and go, she'll explain!" Nali said and continued sorting the groups.

000

"Claire, I can't thank you enough for what you did." Blaze told the Charmeleon as they walked inside the building the Pokémon of Brill kept their records.

"And I told you, I didn't come on my free will. I was sent here." She answered.

"Yeah, but if it wasn't you, the other commander would have killed me without hesitation." He said.

"Yeah, I know. We'll just say that they had barricaded inside and you couldn't do much with those useless recruits you had. When I came here, we joined forces and we were able to break their defenses." She said.

"By the way, why did they change their orders? Why we must not kill unless we have to?" He asked her.

"Commander Cane gave the order. There are some rumors thought…They say there are some old friend of his Majesty leaving in the village." She answered.

"Really? We are lucky those damn recruits weren't able to kill anyone. That means that brat did the exact opposite than I thought." He told more to himself.

"That brat? What do you mean?" She asked him curiously.

"A little Eevee, prevented me from killing some Pokémon I had defeated. I had failed due to him, so I thought I was a goner." He said.

"An Eevee? Are you kidding me?!" She asked him.

"It's not like I was on full power…I had been pretty injured. I had a broken rib, I still have." He answered as he tried to hide his face in embarrassment.

"Yeah right. Maybe you had crushed your hair as well!" She joked.

"Let's just find that damn Registry and go…" He said trying to change the subject.

"Ok." She said, decided to drop the matter…for the time being. "You didn't tell me, why do we actually want it?" She asked.

"Inside the registry, we'll find the names of all the villagers of Brill. That means none will escape." He said and smiled.

"That's evil." She said and smiled as well.

"That's why you love me." Blaze said and kissed her.

000

"Another one down!" Fred said as he brought the Lead Blade down on the Slowbro.

"We can do this, just a bit more!" Ann said as she used Water Pulse on the incoming Solrock.

"We still have to keep that opening. I am worried that not even a group is here yet…" Fred said.

"No time to be worried, more incoming!" Ann said as she shot a powerful Aurora Beam towards the group. Suddenly, a Fire Blast hit Fred, causing him to yell in pain.

"Ambush!" A voice said from the back of the line. Ann turned and charged at full speed towards the Shelgon that had shot that Fire Blast.

"No one hurts my husband and gets away with it!" She said as she fired a Hydro Pump, followed by a Shadow Ball and an Iron Tail. The poor Shelgon was sent flying and crushed on the ground. The might of the attack scared the ambushers, giving the group time to attack.

"Ann!" The voice of Nali was heard. Ann turned and was amazed by what she saw. A huge amount of Pokémon was following Nali. It was clearly more than half of their remaining fighters.

"What are you doing?!" Ann asked in shock as soon as she was able to snap out of the shock.

"No time to explain; just lead the way to the spot!" She said and passed by her.

"Ok!" Ann said and run after her, passed her and started leading everyone. "Follow me!"

"Jason has remained with about a hundred Pokémon. He said he'd hold them as much as he could, while we retreat. When we get there, I'll come back and saw him the way." Nali said.

"I hope he can make it. It's not that I don't have faith in him, but he's fighting against at least ten times his numbers…"Ann said worriedly.

"Don't worry, he'll make it…he promised…" She said. 'Please Jason…don't break that promise.'

000

"Bull's eye!" Jason said as he hit a Vespiqueen with a Flamethrower. He had bought the others much time, but he still had enough strength and Pokémon to keep them. A Gallade, a Croagunk and a Roserade charged at him.

"I've got plenty of time to spare, come on!" He yelled.

The Gallade attacked him with Focus Punch, which he easily dodged and countered with Fire Fang, causing the Pokémon to pull back and yell in pain. He then quickly used Frustration, attempting to hit the Croagunk, but it side stepped and used Poison Jab, striking him on his chest. Jason crushed on the ground, but managed to get up. 'Looks likes I am more worn out than I thought!' The Roserade used Magical Leaf, but Jason countered with Flamethrower and charged with Quick Attack, this time hitting the Croagunk and sending it flying. The Gallade used Drain Punch, hitting Jason and forcing a moan out of him. He got up and let out a battle shout, as he shot a huge Fire Spin towards the Gallade. Unable to dodge the attack, it was caught in it and yelled. Jason then changed his target and attacked the Roserade with Overheat. The poor grass type was hit head on, and unfortunately for it, it was the first Overheat he had used tonight. The Croagunk, not wanting to let him time to attack, charged and when it got close to him, it used Headbutt, but Jason dodged the last moment and countered with a strong Iron Tail. Jason then looked at him comrades, and found out that they struggled with the enemies. He signed.

"Everyone, retreat!" He yelled and stared running back, followed by the relieved Pokémon. They run as fast as they could, with the other Pokémon close behind them. He searched for his wife worriedly, not for himself, but his comrades.

"Jason, here!" He heard her and signed in relief.

"Follow Nali everyone!" He yelled back and run even harder, pushing himself to his limit.

"Don't let them get away! I am going to have all your heads if we fail!" He heard the yell from Blaze as he looked behind his shoulder and saw him on the front line, leading the hunt. He knew that if they caught them, then the others would surrender. He was the only one with experience in that kind of things.

"How far is it?" He asked his wife in frustration, feeling his legs starting to lose their strength.

"Almost there! Just a couple of meters away." She said and kept running forward. Just as she said that, he heard yells from ahead and attacks of all types were sent behind them, hitting the front line and forcing the enemy back.

"I can't move anymore." Jason stated as he entered the rush built camp and collapsed.

000

A lot of time had passed since the two Eevees had entered the cave behind the waterfall. Sara was peacefully sleeping on Alex's lap, while he was staring at the water in thought. He couldn't tell if the battle had ended. He already knew that the village was lost to the enemy. He had seen with his own eyes Blaze welcoming the Pokémon that came from the mountain. What had happened after that? The villagers that had survived were all outside, even the flying Pokémon had fallen. Alex was worried about his father and his best friend. They were outside and it was clear they would be ambushed from the back. He only hoped that they were both alive. Tears started forming in his eyes. He had been waiting for the battle he would participate with joy. He never saw battle as something that would change his life completely. He was still a child and always thought everything he had was never going to disappear. He thought the possibility his parents would die, and he couldn't keep his tears for falling. His sobs were quite. He hoped Sara wouldn't wake up. He looked at her. The way she slept. With all his strength, he stopped his tears and used his paw to clean his eyes. 'I'll never let anyone make me cry again. I won't let anyone hurt those I love!' he thought and close his eyes, welcoming sleep, removing all his frustration and fears behind, drifting in a dreamless sleep.

000

"Jason…what can we do?" Nali asked him with pain in her eyes. "We can't leave, that's for sure. We can fight, but everyone knows there is no hope…"

"I know exactly how they feel. I also know exactly how the enemy feels…" He answered back. Nali just stared at him. "They are fed up thinking that they have to spend more time here. They know that the battle is won and they can't wait to return home. We could use that to our advantage." He said. Nali narrowed her eyes.

"What do you mean by that?" She asked him.

"They want to end this fast…so we may be able to surrender ourselves with some terms…" He said.

"Surrender…with terms?" She asked him, wanting to know more.

"Yeah. If they capture us after the battle, they are clearly going to thrown us in prison, at least that's what I think. We may be able to negotiate and ask that we will be placed on a community…" He said.

"Wait a minute, if I recall, those communities are dungeons that allow the prisoners to talk to each other. But this also allows the other prisoners to do whatever they want with others…" She finished.

"Don't worry about that. There is a special community that is forged for those that go against Marcus… If we manage to get ourselves there, we are going to have a lot better life than the other ones."

"Are you sure about that?" She asked him.

"Yeah. I've been in both prisons and communities in the past…Repentance Temple is the best community for Pokémon like us." He said.

"I am sure everyone is going to do whatever you tell them. If you want to negotiate, they'll follow." She said.

"Sorry to interrupt." Fred said as he walked towards them. He had some wounds, but he was able to move. "Everyone is waiting for something. They are losing it. It would be better if you say something now and lift their spirit." He finished.

"I'll be there. Fred…I decided to surrender." He said. His friend look down in defeat and just nodded. They walked towards the group of the remaining fighters, not more than sixty-seventy.

"Everyone…I've made a decision. I want to share it with you now, and have your opinion. I am going to negotiate our terms of surrender. I know I can get some good terms and I want your approval." Nali got up and nodded. Everyone soon followed her example. They trusted him with their freedom.

000

"Damn that cursed Flareon! That will take us more time than we have. His Majesty wants us back before the end of October. We need to get them this week, or else we won't make it!" Blaze yelled in anger. Everyone, even Claire was afraid of him at the moment.

"Blaze calm down…There are only a few left. We have captured almost 400. In the registry, there were 456. That means that we have almost all of them." Claire attempted to calm him.

"I am not going to calm down till I get a way for us to survive his wrath!" He said. Then, a Magmar entered the tent.

"Excuse me commander. There is a Flareon here that wants to talk to you. He claims he is coming here to negotiate for their surrender." Blaze's face light up and he let out a smile.

"Everyone out! Claire, stay here of course." He said and he turned to face the Magmar. "Sent him in." He said. Soon, the Flareon, Jason was his name Blaze recalled, entered.

"Hello Blaze." He said.

"Watch it! Here I am Commander Blaze, a member of the 'Order of the Dragon' , you'll speak to me with respect." He said.

"Ok then, Commander Blaze, I am here to negotiate our surrender." Jason said.

"I am willing to ensure that you won't be executed." Blaze said. Jason raised an eyebrow.

"You really think I'd fall for that?" Jason asked. "We are willing to surrender if you ensure that we are imprisoned in Repentance Temple. If you don't, then we'll continue to fight till we can't even move anymore." He said, and he kept with difficulty himself from smiling, as he saw Blaze face darkening.

"You know I can't do that!" He yelled.

"If you want to escape His Majesty's wrath, then you will." Jason said and smiled.

"His Majesty won't be mad if we are late." Blaze said with anger.

"I never said he would. I was referring to the fact that some of us would escape." He said and smiled. That made Blaze furious.

"Are you toying with me?!" He asked.

"No. I wanted to make sure you had time limit. Make your choice. You ensure that we get imprisoned in Repentance Temple and we surrender, or you don't and be late and feel His Majesty's wrath." He said calmly. Blaze growled as he stared at him.

"You win. Inform your Pokemon that we'll be leaving immediately!" He said and waved for him to go.

"Oh, there's one more thing. Don't worry; it won't be hard at all." He said.

End of Chapter. Thanks everyone! It's good to know that you do read my story. I am really sorry for the things I said, but reviews are everything in Fanfiction... Plus, I get to know your opinion(Important for me).

Guess what. The first OC appeared on this chapter. This OC was a PM so only one knows who he/she is :)


	7. After the battle

**CHAPTER 7: AFTER THE BATTLE**

The camp was noisy. Everywhere, Pokémon were doing something, moving, packing, ordering. There was only one word to describe it, havoc. It was only the night before that Jason made the deal with Blaze. All the remaining villagers had surrendered and were placed under surveillance. Blaze had ordered a Clefable to check if there were any Pokémon from the registry absent. Now, the Combusken was watching the preparations for their departure. He smiled as he looked at Jason and the rest of the villagers. He heard footsteps behind him and he smirked. Without turning, he greeted his friend.

"Good morning Claire, how did you sleep?" He asked her.

"Not so well. Those Pokémon were too noise." She complained. "And good morning." She added.

"You know we have to go as soon as we can. Don't forget that damn Flareon's last demand..." He said.

"Oh come on, it's not a problem and you know it. Are you going to keep your promise thought?" She asked him. He raised an eyebrow.

"I might be a senseless and evil freak, but I have an honor. I'd never break a promise or a bet." He said.

"You know, this is something that I admire on you. You are evil, but you follow a code as well. That's an unusual combination." She said and smirked.

"As unusual as it is, that's who I am. Think of it like I am unique." He said and smiled. She giggled.

"Reporting to commander." The Clefable said. "We have counted all the prisoners and following the registry, we've come to the conclusion that two villagers of Brill are still out there." She said.

"What?! Are you sure you aren't wrong?" Blaze asked in shock as he shot her a glare, making her nervous.

"You know, commander...We weren't sure at first, so we counted a second time." She said.

"What Pokémon are they?" He asked. "We may be able to track them down."

"The first one is Sara the Eevee, daughter of Fred the Leafeon and Ann the Vaporeon. The second is Alex the Eevee, son of Jason the Flareon and Nali the Glaceon." The Clefable said.

"Well if it isn't the brat and his friend." Blaze said. "They are two kids, send a search group to find them before we depart. If we leave without them, then I have some plans for them. And they are not gonna like them."

000

The Cave was dark. The only thing visible was the water covering the entrance to the cave. It was still early in the morning, but there was no way to tell from the inside. In the corner, two figures were peacefully sleeping. The Eevee's had been sleeping for about ten hours, due to the exhausting night they had. Alex had his head leaned back on the soft rock, thanks to the moisture, while Sara was sleeping on his lap.

They wouldn't have woken up, if it wasn't for the yells and deep footsteps coming from the outside that were even louder than the waterfall. Alex opened his eyes slowly, still feeling sleepy. Sara woke up as well, twirling her ears and slowly getting up. She looked at Alex and smiled. Then she realized where she was and her eyes widened.

"Where on earth are we?!" She asked in shock. A moment later, all the memories returned. "Oh yeah." She said and her ears dropped.

"Don't worry. We'll be ok here, just stay quiet for a while." Alex said, as he as well, woke up completely.

"I am not worried about me. We only know that our parent and the rest of the villagers are either capture or still fighting...or worse. All those possibilities are bad and I don't want to think about them." She said.

"I know, same goes for me, but we mustn't be captured as well. We won't be able to do anything if we do." He told her. She nodded.

The minutes passed extremely slow. The sound of the water covered almost every noise from the outside world. Every time they thought the enemy had finally gone, they heard sounds informing them of the opposite. After a couple of hours that felt like an eternity to both, the sounds fainted and weren't heard for long. Alex turned, looked at Sara and smirked. He turned his back on her and fell on the water. When he got to the surface, he jumped out and looked around. After a couple of seconds, Sara came out.

"I guess they have left." He told her.

"Are you sure? I say we go higher and inspect from there." She said.

"You are right." He agreed and started running up the mountain, followed by Sara. Soon, they were able to see the horizon.

"Alex, over there!" She said and pointed in the distance. There were many Pokémon leaving the area.

"I bet it's Blaze and his troops." He said as relief came over him. Then he noticed something he hadn't till then. "Hey, there are no Pokémon bodies anywhere. That means they really didn't want to kill anyone." He said.

"You know what, you are right! That means our parents are alive!" She said with joy. Alex fell silent for a moment. "Hey, what's wrong?" She asked him.

"We are on our own Sara...From now on, we must take care of ourselves."

000

"What do you mean our children aren't here?!" Nali and Ann asked in hysteria.

"I mean that the two Eevee that are your children weren't captured and we didn't find them. In other words, they'll stay back." Blaze said.

"You did this, didn't you? I bet you've left them in the mountain and you are ready to go and let them die!" Ann yelled at him.

"Watch it! You are a prisoner and you are pushing your luck. I can kill you right now if I want to! And if you want to know, I've sent a couple of groups to find them, but they didn't, which means your children are in HIDING." He said.

"Nali, Ann, calm down. Alex and Sara had left the groups by the time we were captured. They must have seen that the village had been lost and fled." Sam told her.

"We are leaving in a couple of hours. I suggest you both calm down and do as I say."

The two hours passed, but for the four parents, it felt like time had frozen. The hysteria of the girls had passed, replaced by worry and despair. Jason and Fred, hadn't said a thing the whole time. Finally, Blaze walked towards them and motioned it was time to go.

"Don't worry guys...I bet they are both all right. I know them and I'm sure they'll survive. Let's think positive. They aren't going to spend their childhood behind the bars. They'll find a place to leave and a way to survive." Jason said and started walking, with his head down.

**ABOUT 5 HOURS LATER**

"At least the weather is nice." Nali said as she felt the warmth of the sun. It felt great, even thought she was an ice type.

"Yeah, great weather for traveling. At least we don't struggle like some other times, right partner?" Fred asked Jason.

"Yeah. We'll be in Valoria by tomorrow night if it stays that way." He said.

"I've never been in Halka before...How much time will it take to get there?" Ann asked.

"The average traveling time is 40 days. About 30 if we keep the pace." Fred said.

"Jason, are those necklaces the ones you said?" Nali asked him as she touched the metallic ring on her neck.

"Yeah that's it." He said and signed. "I'll never get used to it." Ann looked at him curiously.

"What's so special about this metal?" She asked.

"It's not just any piece of metal. It's called 'Zin' or else 'Living Metal'. It feeds from the energy of the Pokémon it is bound to. It has been used to keep Pokémon under surveillance for some time now." He said.

"Then how come we don't feel our energy drained?" She asked.

"Some Pokémon have found a way to control it. They have placed three different drain levels that enable its power. The first one is called 'Basic Level' and it's the one they usually use. This allows the ones wearing it to do the basics, walking, talking etc. The second one is called 'Ambush Level' and is used when the group is ambushed. It allows running and using low-energy attacks. The last one is called 'Full Level' and as you guessed it feels like you aren't wearing it at all." Jason finally finished.

"One question. When you say that it allows, what do you mean?" She asked.

"I if we try to run, our organism will release more energy than it does right now. The increase of energy, will surpass the level that prevents the metal from sucking our power, so it will start automatically and drain all the energy we unleash for a couple of minutes, giving the prisoners no chance of running away." He said.

"Wow, I never thought anything like that existed..." Ann said with a look of awe in her face.

"It exist and it is bound to all of you, so don't try anything foolish!" Blaze told them as he looked behind his head, towards them.

000

"That tastes good." Sara said as she took another bite of the berry Alex had given her happily.

"Glad you like it." He said and smiled. He was feeling a lot better since he learned everyone was all right.

He finished eating his berry and looked up the sky, lost in his own thoughts. Two weeks ago, he would wake up, go to Sara and the two of them would leave to explore the mountain. They would be gone for all day long and be back because their parents would be mad if they didn't. Now, they had no parents to be mad at them, but they had no time to waist on exploring it. What were they supposed to do now? They were all alone, just two Pokémon leaving on an abandoned village... He knew that they couldn't stay there. But where could they go? They had never left the village, not even with their parents. Alex shifted his gaze towards his friend and was surprised to see her watch him.

"What are you doing?" He asked as he tilted his head.

"Just looking at you. You were completely out of this world. What were you thinking?" She asked him.

"I was trying to find a place for us to go..." He said.

"Come on, it's not that hard, we're going to Valoria. When we get there, we are going to find a job and a place to stay." She said. Alex looked at her with a serious look in his eyes.

"Are you kidding me?" He asked. "I am not going to stay in a town and leave my life like nothing has happened. I am going to train hard and become strong. I always wanted to travel the world and now I have the chance. The only difference..." He said but was interrupted by Sara.

"Damn it Alex! What are you thinking? We are two kids without anyone to take care of us! We need to take care of ourselve, you said it. We can't make plans to train and travel!" She said as she got up in frustration.

"I am not going to sit back and try to survive! I love my parents as well as the rest of the village. I am going to get strong, go to Halka and save them!" He said as he got up as well. "I don't care if it's gonna be hard. I don't care if I struggle to keep going. I don't even care if I die trying! What I do care about is that I'll try and save them!" That statement left Sara speechless.

"Well young man, if you are willing to sacrifice your own life to become strong, then I can't help it but train you." A voice said and got their attention. They both turned and looked at an Absol. It was clear that the Pokémon if front of them was old. His eyes were full of wisdom, his fur was really messed up and he had scars all over his body.

"Who are you?" Alex asked as he got in front of Sara protectively.

"My name is Aberith. I was just passing by and was surprised to see that the village was abandoned. There are signs that a battle took place here and recently. " The Absol said.

"Yeah, it started yesterday at noon and it was over by nightfall. The village was attacked by the 'Order of the Dragon'. We are two of the few, could be the only, survivors. I am Alex and this is Sara." Alex said, as he pointed at himself and Sara.

"And you want to become strong and go rescue them?" Aberith asked.

"That's the plan, yeah." Alex answered back.

"I can see the fire burning in your eyes. But I can also see your thirst for revenge. If you don't give up on it, then I can't teach you." He said.

"I never asked you to. I am going to get strong myself." Alex said.

"You don't get strong just by battling or training without guidance. I can offer you whatever you'll need. I can saw you what real training means." Aberith said with a strange voice. It had something on it that made a chill run down Alex's spine. Something that enchanted him, that made him want to trust that Pokémon.

"If I follow you, will you make me stronger? Will you give me what I need to save my parents and friends?" Alex asked as he looked Aberith straight in the eyes.

"You are a quick learner. Your thirst for revenge is gone from your eyes. I can see that your desire to save, is greater than your desire to harm. I am going to train you. But I warn you, you'll do whatever I tell you. You won't complain and you'll give it your best. I am not going to take it easy on you just because you are a kid." He said.

"Trust me. This is exactly what I want you to. I want to become strong and take on the Empire. I don't want to play a silly game." Alex said, without breaking eye contact.

"You got a deal. You'll come with me to my home and you'll do exactly as I say." He told Alex. Then he turned towards Sara. "What about you young lady. What are you going to do?" He asked her with a soft tone.

"Alex is thickheaded. I am not going to let him go to Halka on his own. I bet he'll lose his way. I'll go with him and be his voice of sense." She said.

"Ok then." He said and turned to leave. " I have a feeling that you want to become strong as well." He said without turning to face her. She nodded. "Ok then, follow me to my home. When we get there, you'll become my students and you'll talk to me like a teacher. If we leave immediately, we'll be there by nightfall." He said and started walking.

End of Chapter. Hey guys. I am not sure if you liked that chapter... it had no action at all, plus I think there are some flues, but I can't place my finger on where they are... Anyway, review please!


	8. Training Begins

**CHAPTER 8: TRAINING BEGINS  
**

The sun was close to setting. The two Eevees and the Absol, were at a thick forest with a river flowing on thir left hand, as they kept traveling North. Normally, Alex and Sara would be on the way back home, but every step they took, was one step away from it. Alex had never gone that far from Brill in his entire life, so he was exstatic. His movement was faster than normal, his tail was wagging and he kept looking left and right. Sara was more serious. She wasn't paying attention on the forest or the water, but she had locked her gaze on Aberith. The Absol had been silent for almost the entire day. Finally, he stopped.

"Here we are. This is my home." He said as he walked forward, allowing the two Pokemon to see the house.

"You got to be kidding me..." Alex said as he looked at the sight in front of him. There was a small two-floor house, alongside a waterfall. There was a small part next to it with dummies and space to train. It was clear that Aberith loved practise.

"I never expected to see something like that!" Sara said in awe.

"I guess you like it. That's good. It's almost nightfall, let's go inside and rest." He said as he walked towards the door and opened it.

"Rest? But we never go to sleep so early..." Alex complained.

"Yeah, but you never wake up at six." Aberith said. Alex and Sara looked at each other and burst into laughters. Aberith raised an eyebrow. "What's so funny?" He asked.

"Well..." Alex started as he tried to stop. "You see I wake up every morning at six and go wake up Sara." He said and smile.

"Really?" Aberith said as he looked at him curiously. "Not many youngsters do that."

"Yeah. Anyway, what are we going to do in our training tomorrow?" Sara asked him.

"You'll find out tommorow. Right now, you are going to sleep." He said as he entered the house.

000

"I don't think I can go on for much longer...My legs are almost done." Ann said as she walked beside Nali.

"Same here. Jason, how much more you think Blaze will make us walk?" She asked the Flareon.

"Well, there is a good place to camp in about 20 minutes from here." He said.

"20 minutes? God I don't think I can go on for that long." She said and signed.

"Don't worry, I'll carry you the rest of the way." He said and smiled at her. "It's probably because of 'Zin'. It drains some energy over time."

"Will you carry me too Fred?" Ann asked as she turned towards her husband. Fred nodded and kept going.

"Say partner, why have you been so quiet?" Jason asked him.

"Want to save some energy. The more energy we spend, the more energy is drained." He said.

"Then I won't speek anymore, good night guys." Nali said and fell silent. Ann sweet dropped.

"Same here." She just said.

The time passed really slowly. Every step they took was heavier than the last. It was already night, around nine o'clock and the temperature had gone down rapidly. Nali and Ann had reached for each other to keep worm, and they had their eyes closed, letting their husbands lead them. Finally, they both stopped and dropped down. Jason and Fred took them on their back and kept going. Blaze looked back at them and smirked. Claire noticed the smirk and looked at him curiously.

"What's the matter Blaze?" She asked him.

"Nothing. It's just that they are really tough. Look at them, they had a really exhausted battle, followed by an all day walk, chained by 'Zin' and they have the power to carry them." He said.

"You got a point. But why so much thought? You usually never applaud anyone else than yourself." She said while raising an eyebrow.

"Don't know myself...It's just a feeling, but I think they have a role on the play, if you know what I mean." He said.

"The may have. No one knows. But that's not our business." She said.

"You're right. Speaking of business, I have to return you thins, the work here is done." He said as he took a blue stone neckless and gave it to her.

"It's not mine, so I can't let you have it." She said.

"I know. It was cool thought...Being immune to water-type attacks." He said.

"Yeah. Ability stones are really rare, I am surprised that the commander has two on his possession." She said.

"I never thought I'd ever see one of those. I mean, stones that gives their bearers an ability they normally aren't able to learn." He said as he looked one last time at the stone.

"Who knows, maybe one day we'll find one ourselves." She said and smiled.

"I can see the valley ahead of us! We'll be there soon." A voice was heard from ahead.

"Ok, we'll set up out camp there and we'll continue our journey tomorrow morning. Hopefully, we'll be sleeping at Valoria tomorrow." Blaze said.

000

"Alex, are you still awake?" Sara asked her friend, who was sleeping on a bed next to hers.

"Yeah..." He answered as he turned to look at her. "There's just a lot on my mind."

"Yeah I know. Say, what do you think our training tomorrow will be like?" She asked.

"I have no clue. I hope it's intense so we can become really strong." He said and smiled at her.

"We have to get a lot stronger, right? We are going against Marcus and his commanders. To be honest, I think we are picking a fight we can't win." She said and signed.

"I think that too. But I prefer to try and fail than leave my life on my own struggling to survive." He said.

"Alex, let's give it our best. Let's become strong and save our parents and the rest of the village. And let's do it together." She said.

"Ok Sara. But to give it our best, we need to be full of energy tomorrow. So let's get some sleep." He said and closed his eyes.

"Good night Alex." She said and closed her eyes, welcoming sleep almost immediately.

000

"At last..." Nali said as she dropped down and closed her eyes. Soon, Ann followed her example.

"They are wiped out. If you think that this is the first day of our journey, then things won't be good." Fred said as he laid on the ground and looked at Jason. "Why aren't you resting? I know you are exhausted." He asked.

"I want to speak to Blaze. Just to ask him a question." He said.

"Is it really that important?" He asked.

"No, it is useless actually, but I want to know out of curiosity." Jason said. Fred smirked at him.

"You are going to stay awake just for curiosity? Come on!" Fred said.

"Go to sleep Fred, I won't be long." Jason told him.

"Ok partner, as you wish." Fred said and closed his eyes. Less than a minute later, he started snoring quietly. About five minutes later, Blaze entered the tent and looked at Jason.

"Hello Jason! Why aren't you sleeping like everyone else?" He asked with a smirk.

"I just wanted to ask you something." He answered.

"You know, you are really weird. You have battled the hardest from everyone, you have walked an entire day with 'Zin', carried your wife, and yet you are the only one that still got energy. I am impressed." He said.

"Thank you. Now, how were you able to use Water Absorb?" He asked. Blaze raised and eyebrow.

"I think you already know the answer." He said.

"Abillity Stones?" He asked.

"Correct." Blaze said and smiled.

"Tell me, you are a member of the 'Order of the Dragon', but you can evolve even more...Why haven't you done so. If you did, then you'd climb higher in command." Jason said.

"Typical question." Blaze said and frowned. "I don't like Blaziken. Combasken is cool and more free. Blaziken's expression is serious even when he smiles. I don't really like that." He answered.

"Figures. By the way, don't forget your promish, tomorrow night." Jason said.

"I never forget, don't worry." Blaze said and left.

000

"Sara, wake up!" Sara felt a paw gently shaking her, as she opened her eyes.

"Morning Alex, good night." She said as she closed them again. Alex frowned.

"Sara, it's six o'clock, we are starting our training, come one!" He said as he shook her again.

"Oh yeah..." She said as she slowly woke up."Had totally forgotten it." She said and she yawned.

The two Eevees walked out of the small room and headed for the bathroom. Alex told Sara to go first, as he sat on the ground staring at the sealing. He heard every move Sara did inside. The water splashing on her face, the toothbrush on her teeth, her spitting the water. She was done and went outside, leting him enter and finish with refreshing himself. Soon, they both walked downstairs and saw, to their awe, a table full of berries, bread, milk and much more wonderful things. They exchanged a look and run down, sitting on the table and started eating.

"Looks like you like the food." Aberith said as he entered the room from outside.

"Yeah..."Alex said as he swallowed the berry he was chewing."Everything's really good."

"Glad to hear that. When you are done, we'll start our training." He said. Both Eevees finished their breakfast and followed Aberith outside.

"The weather is good. It will help on our training." Sara said.

"The weather is fine only for today. Let's hope it rains and it hails from tomorrow." Aberith said.

"What? Why should we? It's easier this way." Alex said.

"It's better to be prepared to fight under circumstances like heavy rain and hail." Aberith said."Now, I want you to stand here." He said as he stopped a couple of meters away from the dummies.

"Ok!" They both said and took position.

"Now, tell me what abillities you are able to use." He asked them.

"Tackle, Tail Whip." They said.

"Ok, I want you Alex, to run and Tackle the dummy as you would an enemy." He said.

"Sure thing!" Alex said as he run towards the dummy and Tackled it full power.

"Ok, now you Sara." He said. Sara run towards it and Tackled it as well.

"Ok, come back here." Aberith said. When they were both before him he said."Alex, you just attacked the dummy with force. You had no accuracy at all. This will give your opponent an opening and he can cause much damage. Sara, you are the exact opposite, you were really accurate, but you lucked power. Both of you would have lost the battle if the dummies were real enemies."

"So I must aim before I go?" Alex asked.

"That's what I just said Alex."

"I know I luck power, but I'll do my best." Sara said.

"Ok, now we'll continue with exercises." Aberith said as he walked towards the other side of the house, near the waterfall."I want you to climb all the way up the waterfall." He said.

"What?!" Both of them asked in shock. "It's impossible to do that! The water will send us down, not to mention we'll slip from the wetness of the rocks!" Alex said.

"I want you to do it. You won't rest untill you do." He said."I suggest you start."

000

The sun was now above their heads. Five hours had passed since Alex and Sara started climbing the waterfall. They had fallen in the water so many times, they had lost count of it. Aberith was watching them all this time without a word. Right now, they were both almost at the top. That meant they had to deal greater pressure from the water, which made it really difficult to move. They were on the same spot for the last ten minutes, untill Alex suddenly jumped and gripped on a rock. He then jumped on another and then tried to reach the top with his paw, unsuccessfully. Sara followed and jumped till he reached the same high as him. Instead of trying to reach the summit with her paw, she jumped and grabbed on a root, as she finally reached the top, soon followed by Alex with a huge frown.

"I can't believe it! I was always ahead of you and you passed me on the end!" He said.

"Well, you were just too slow." She said and smiled.

"Ok you two, now jump down." Aberith told them.

"What?!" Both yelled in shock.

"Jump down, come on." He said.

"You really want us to jump from about 20 meters?! No freaking way!" Sara said. Alex's frown changed into a smirk, as he walked backwards, run and jumped down.

"ASTA LA VISTA!" He yelled as he fall. He landed in the water, creating a big wave of water.

"Alex!" She yelled in anger. "You scared me damn it!"

"Sorry Honey, looks like I win!" He said and smiled at her.

"You bastard!" She yelled, although she hardly kept the smile from forming. She got back and run as she jumped. "AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!" She yelled as she fall. She splashed in and created a smaller wave than Alex.

"Good, now that you are both here, let's go to the second part of the training." Aberith said and threw them some cloth to dry themselves. "Come on in."

"We'll train inside? What kind of training is that?" Alex asked the Absol.

"You'll see." He said.

End of chapter.

DevoTheMadCashCow: No it's not. If it was, Sara and Alex would be history on the first day of training :D. I knew I'd place an Absol as their trainer, but every time I tried to think of a name, Aberith always popped on my head, so...

Everyone: Sorry guys for the delay. It's just that I have some issues and that messes up with my inspiration completely... I don't think I'll have the next chapter in time either...Sorry...


	9. Train the mind

**CHAPTER 9: TRAIN THE MIND  
**

"You've got to be kidding me..." Alex said as he looked the board in front of him.

"What's wrong ?" Aberith asked him.

"Don't tell me we are going to study!" Alex yelled in shock.

"Well, fighting isn't only strength. In order to win, you need strategy as well. And to do that, you need to know what you are up against." Aberith said.

"So you are going to teach us...Pokemon's weeknesses and resistances?" Sara asked him.

"I am going to teach you many things. Take a sit." Aberith told them as he stood in front of the board.

"Done." Alex said as he sat down next to Sara.

"On this part of your training, I'm going to teach you abilities and ways you can use them or counter them. I'll teach you all the abillites I know of." Aberith said.

"Ok..." Both Eevees said.

"Let's begin with...Tackle. A physical attack in which the user charges and slams into the foe with its whole body. It's one of the starting abilities. The stronger the Pokemon, the stronger the attack. You can easily avoid it from slow Pokemon, and withstand it from small."

"We know Tackle..." Sara said as she tilted her head.

"I am going to tell you about every attack. I want you to pay close attention." He said. "Next one is Scratch. Hard, pointed, and sharp claws rake the foe to inflict damage. It's another starting ability. The more accurate and fast the user, the stronger the attack. Counter by slowing your opponent, or by stopping it's claws.

"That's cool. I am starting to like it!" Alex said as he looked at Aberith with contemplation.

"Knowing what move your opponent is going to use and having a way to counter it, gives you the upper hand in a battle. Strength plays a major role in battle, but strategy is important as well." Aberith said and smiled.

000

"In a couple of hours, we'll be in Valoria." Blaze informed. "When we get there, we are going to stay on a facility of the Order and spend the night." He finished.

"At last, some good news." Nali said.

"Yeah! We are gonna have a nice dinner. Leftovers!" Fred said, causing all three of them to burst into laughs.

"Come on now Fred, seriously." Jason said as he tried to stop his laughs.

"That was good, you liked it, admit it!" Fred said with a smile on his face.

"Ok, I liked it. Now let's keep going." Jason said.

"Guys, how is Valoria?" Ann asked them. Fred looked at her and smiled.

"It's a really busy place. It's surrounded by a lake and stone walls. It's really huge and it has a canal crossing it's center, where some small wooden bridges are built. There are four districts. First is the Marker District, where you can find shops, located in the North. Second is the South District, where all the houses are. Third is the Rich District, in the East, where the most well known and rich Pokemon live and last is the Dragon District, in the West, where Marcus has created some buildings for the Order."

"Wow, it sounds really beautiful, I can't wait to see it." Nali said.

"The first time I got to Valoria, I was stunned by it's beauty. You'll love it. We'll come here one day when we get free..." Jason said. Everyone fell silent for a moment.

"...If we get free." Ann said.

000

"Ok, that's all for today. This is your training schedule. Wake up at six, practise your speed and power on dummies for 3-4 hours. After that, meditation under the pressure of the waterfall's water for 2 hours. You then take a break for a couple of hours and we'll carry on with mind training. When night comes, you battle for 1 hour to improve your night vision." Aberith Finlay finished.

"It's a good schedule. I know that if I keep up, I'll get stronger." Alex said with a smile on his face.

"Me too. I'll do my best and be strong for my parents." She said.

"I'll be going, I am a bit tired and I want to be able to get up tomorrow." Aberith said as he walked towards the door leading to his room. "Good night."

"Good night." They both said and they left for their room as well.

"Alex..." Sara begun. "Do you think we'll ever see our parents again?" She asked him and her ears dropped. Alex smiled.

"I don't think so. I am sure of it. We'll get to Halka and set them free. But in order to do that, we'll need to become stronger than them." He said.

"I hope you are right." She said.

"Ok, listen up, we'll make a promise: We'll do our best and reach Halka no matter what. I know that the road's gonna be really difficult, but what the heck." He said. Sara gave him a smile.

"Promise! I'll race you there!" She said as she jumped on her bed. "Good night Alex." She fell asleep almost instantly.

"Good night Sara..." He said.

Alex's pov

I looked at the deserted city in shock. How did I get there? Everything was made out of stone and the roads were full of sand. Every building was connected to each other by bridges. Looking at all those bridges made my head spin. It was like a huge labyrinth created to drive you crazy. I took a step forward and headed for the nearest door. By the time I got in, images flashed before my eyes. All those images were familiar to me and that's because they were parts of my memory. I heard a rustle and turned around to see an Eevee walking slowly towards me. The strange thing was that the Eevee looked exactly like me.

"Who are you?" I asked him.

"Hello Alex. It's nice to finlay meet you." The Eevee said happily. I tilted my head at him.

"How do you know my name?" I asked him.

"Well, I'm going to explain you, but please don't freak out." The Eevee said and I nodded. "I am you." Needless to say that my jaw reached the floor.

"What?!" I asked in shock, while the Eevee signed.

"I figured you'd reached that way. Don't worry, you haven't lost your sanity. At the moment, your body is seeping on the bed. You, on the other hand, have entered your head." The other me said.

"Pardon me? Did I hear correct? How on earth am I inside my head?" I asked confused.

"It's simple to be honest. When you fell asleep, your mind relaxed. Think of it as a break from the all day work. It's exactly like your body. It is restoring it's power." He said.

"..." I just stared like an idiot. "And just how was I able to enter?" I asked.

"..." Now it was his turn to stare. "Alex, your mind right now is completely vulnerable to you. Almost every Pokemon enters it's mind, but almost everyone thinks that it's just a dream." He said.

"Ok...So I am inside my mind talking to myself?" I asked, feeling far more idiot.

"Yes and no." He said. I looked at him annoyed. "I am you, yet I am not. I'm what you call subconscious." He said. I blinked.

"Ok...Subconscious is supposed to come and make us fell guilty for something we have done." I said. "What have I done wrong?" He laughed.

"No Alex. Subconscious does not only appear when someone has done something wrong. I am here to saw you something." He said and walked outside. I followed his of course.

"So, what do you want to saw me?" I asked.

"This." He said and opened his arms. I looked at his curiously. "This Alex is your mind. That is how you imagine it. If you look closely, you'll see that for some distance, the city isn't that complex." He said.

"You are right!" I said as I noticed it. "What does that mean?" I asked.

"That is the part of your mind that you have 'mastered'." He said.

"Could you please be more specific?" I asked as I started losing my temper with all those riddles.

"Come on Alex, you are better than that. It's the part of your mind that you are able to enter while you are awake. It's all the things you know." He said.

"Oh...It's a really small part of the city. Does it mean I can get so smart till this becomes a real city?" I asked in amazement.

"No, I'm afraid not." He said. "No one has ever completely discovered his or her mind. This is the limit you can get, but on the same time, it's impossible." He said.

"So what is it you want to saw me?" I asked in frustration.

"Your potential. You can become really smart and strong. You can become a hero." He said and smiled. "Now it's time for you to leave, soon you'll wake up."

000

"Alex, wake up!" A voice called me as I tiredly opened my eyes.

"What?" I asked lazily as I closed them again. God I felt so tired.

"Alex, it's six o'clock! I can't believe that I am awake and you are still sleeping, come on!" Sara said. I opened me eyes widely.

"Oh yeah. Let's go." I said and got up.

Everything was a bit blurry on my head. As if my presence had alerted it, making it difficult to work. I remembered the whole conversation I had with my subconscious and the labyrinth of a city that presented my mind. He wanted to saw me my potential. I promised I'd do my best and I intended to keep it. We finished our breakfast and headed outside to meet Aberith.

"Good morning." He said.

"Hey." Both of us said.

"You remember your schedule, right?" He asked and we nodded. "Ok, begin."

I didn't know what was going to happen in the future. I knew the path that spread in front of me would be a difficult one. But you know what? It was the only path I could see. Even if there was an other path out there, I am sure I wouldn't have seen it.

End of Chapter. Hey guys, I am really sorry it took so long, but at the moment I have some responsibilities that takes almost all of my free time. I wrote this chapter whenever I could. All I ask is that you review. So press that button below and write your opinion, thanks.


	10. Once in a Lifetime

**CHAPTER 10: ONCE IN A LIFETIME  
**

Aberith's pov

It has been a month since I got the two students. In all my years, I've never seen anyone so determined to become strong. Both of them are obedient, quick learners and intense. I knew Alex was going to be a hard worker by the time I saw him. I wasn't prepared for what I saw thought. Alex has achieved in one month, what others achieve in more than six. Sara had proved to be quite intelligent, able to get thought difficult situations with quick thinking. She had improved in combat as well. As I watched them, I got that feeling. I felt proud of having taught them.

"Hey Alex, Sara, come here." I yelled at them and they left their training to come to me.

"What is it?" Alex asked me.

"I think it's time to put everything you've learned in use." I told them.

"What do you mean?" Sara asked me curiously.

"We are going to have a battle. You two against me." I said and smiled. "Prepare yourselves!" I shouted as the smile left my face and I charged towards Alex.

"Hey, we weren't prepared!" Alex yelled as he dodged my attack.

"Most of your enemies won't give you a warning." I said.

Alex and Sara took a defencive stance and I charged towards them with Frustration. They jumped on the sides and evaded my attack. Alex instantly used Swift against me, while Sara used Shadow Ball. I waited till both attacks almost hit me and jumped up. Both attacks collided and created a small explosion. I readied a Razor Wind from above and shot it towards Sara. She quickly used Mud-Slap and jumped to the side. I heard some noise from behind and I jumped on the left just in time to evade Alex's Take Down. Damn, when did he get behind me? I made an 180 degrees turn and shot a Shadow Ball at him. He ducked under it and charged with Headbutt. I side stepped and slammed an Iron Tail on his back. He yelled in pain, but jumped forward to avoid any other possible attack. Sara rushed to his side, but had her gaze fixed on me. Alex stood up and looked at me as well. I smirked. They both spat a Shadow Ball at me. I easily dodged, but soon was sent flying back by Alex's Quick Attack. His speed has improved a lot. I got up and charged at him with Payback. He dodged and slammed me in the sides with Tail Whip which almost didn't hurt at all. I kept my speed thought and slammed on Sara with Zen Headbutt. She crushed on a nearby tree and growled. I readied a Shadow Ball and just before I shot it, I turned around and hit Alex mare inches before his Tacke attack made contact. I then felt Sara's Swift attack on my back and greeted my teeth in pain. I turned around and to my surprise, Sara was nowhere to be found. I looked up just in time to see her coming down with a Tackle attack. I jumped to the side and Sara crushed on the ground, filling the air with dirt. When it cleared, I saw a huge hole there. I then felt the ground shake beneath me and it opened, revealing Sara, who stroke me right in the chest with her Dig attack. I landed on my legs and looked at Sara with a smile. I felt an intense pain on my back as Alex's Shadow Ball made contact. Damn, I must never let my guard down! Sara took the chance and charged towards me with Quick Attack. On the same time, I heard Alex running. I waited till Sara was close and moved away just in time for the to crush.

"What on earth are you doing Alex?!" Sara asked in frustration.

"What do you mean what am I doing?! You got in the way of my Headbutt!" HE yelled at her.

"No you idiot, you missed and hit me instead!" She yelled as well.

"Hey guys, chill." I said. They ignored me and kept yelling at each other. I started losing my cool and yelled at them. "SHUT UP AND STOP IGNORING ME!" They both stopped and sweetdropped. "Better now." I said and smiled.

"Sorry..." They both said.

"Forget it. Now, I have some things I want to tell you. First of all, Alex: You have become really fast, I was surprised by your Quick Attack. You've become quite strong as well." I said.

"Thanks." Alex said as he smiled at me.

"Now Sara: You are a great tactician. I lost you many times, and you took me completely aback with that Dig attack. You are going to be huge trouble for your foes. When did you learn dig by the way?" I asked her.

"Well, I just started scratching the ground while waiting for Alex to finish his training. I started becoming faster on that and it sort of came up." She said.

"Guys, I am really proud of you. Go keep up with your training. Soon, you're going to leave for your journey and you won't have much time to train." I said. They nodded and went to continue with their training. I was gonna miss them...

000

??? pov

Blaze entered the throne room and knelled in front of the great Dragonite. I was watching him from the right of His majesty. I could see the nervousness and fear of the Combusken. He was two days late and he knew it. I smirked as His majesty spoke. His voice echoing thought the Throne room.

"Rise up Blaze." He said. Blaze got up.

"Thank you Your Majesty." He said.

"I await news from Brill. Did you get them all?" He asked. To everyone, this would seem like a steady voice. I knew His Majesty more than anyone, so I could tell the tone of eagerness from miles away.

"Almost." He said but he quickly continued as he saw the Dragonite's eyes angering. "We weren't able to capture two children Eevee's."

"Oh, if was just for two children it's ok. But know this Blaze, if you ever fail me again, I won't forgive you." He said.

"Of course Your Majesty. You are very generous." He said. "All the villagers are now imprisoned in Repentance Temple."

"Thank you Blaze, you are dismissed." He said and Blaze bowed and left. He turned to me.

"What do you think?" He asked me.

"Blaze is loyal to Your Majesty. I am sure he was moving as fast as he could. It's just two days after all." I said.

"If you say so, then I won't hurt him. You are the only one I fully trust. I don't even trust my wife that match." He said.

"It's an honor Your Majesty. I own You my life and I am glad to serve You till it comes to an end." I said.

"I know. That's why you are the second in command. You have done everything I've told to do. That's why you are known today as 'Cane the kabutops, #1 Elite Dragoon'.

000

"I'd never believe that we are in a prison. This place is like a small village built in a cave!" Nali said as she and Ann were walking throught the Temple.

"That's true. We can live a normal life here. But if you ask me, I'd like to live in Brill." She said and signed.

"I can't agree more to that. If it wasn't for Marcus, we'd still be at home with Alex and Sara..." Nali said and her face became miserable.

"Where do you think they are? I wonder if they have gone to Valoria...found a job and a place to live." Ann said and she almost burst into tears.

"Come on now. They can take care of themselves, I am sure they have a warm home to live and comfortable bed to sleep. Let's go back now, Jason and Fred may get worried." Nali said and started moving.

The Repentance Temple was an underground prison. It was built north of Halka, and it was actually a cave. Small houses had been built instead of cells and there was a square in the middle. The ceiling was cracked and on each side's edges there were building serving as the guards houses. It had about a hundred meters height and it was big enough to hold more than ten thousands of Pokemon.

"Hey guys." Nali said as she entered the small house those four shared.

"Hey girls." Fred greeted them. "So, how was your tour?" He asked them.

"It's doesn't look like a prison, that's for sure." Ann said as she sat om a chair.

"I told you it doesn't. It's the only safe community there is and as a community, we are almost free." Jason said.

"That almost is a big almost." Fred said and signed.

"This way sir." A voice from outside said. All four of them turned and faced the door. To their surprise, a Kangaskhan guard entered, followed by Blaze.

"Hello! How are you today?" Blaze asked them with a smile.

"Great. It's really great in here." Jason said with a smile.

"I am glad. I came here to ruin your day a little." Blaze said and smiled evilly.

"Just how are you going to do that?" Fred asked with a smirk. Blaze unfolded two papers an opened them in front of them.

"They have already been sent on every part of Valoria." Blaze said and his smile widened.

000

Aberith's pov

"Mirror Move: Mirror Move causes the user to use the last move that the target used. A move called by Mirror Move in this way counts as the last move used." I said and looked at them.

"This is a cool move." Alex said. I noticed a strange tone in his voice but I shook it away.

"Now, Mirror Move is a special ability. If the enemy hasn't attacked you yet, it's completely useless. If the enemy has used an ability and you didn't notice it, you're gonna use it and trust me, it can be a grave mistake. For example, I've seen this battle, a Pokemon used Yawn on his opponent and she fall asleep. After that, he used Mirror Move to copy Earthquake, but he fall asleep. Later on, she explained how she got victorious. She had used Rest and her opponent copied it." I said.

"Wow, that was smart!" Sara said.

"Yeah. So the user must be really careful on how he or she uses Mirror Move." I said. "Well, of course you can't use Mirror Move so..."

"Can I ask something?" Alex said.

"Yeah sure."

"Is there any way an Eevee can learn Mirror Move?" He asked and Sara looked worriedly at him.

"No there isn't. If there was I would have seen it." I answered, although that got me curious. "Why do you ask?"

"Well..." He said and he looked at Sara. "You see, when I was fighting Blaze, a Combusken from the 'Order of the Dragon', I got hit by his Focus Punch. Later on, after he knocked Sara really hard, I got really angry and it was like my body moved on it's own..." He said.

"And...?" I asked as I grew more and more curious.

"And I used Focus Punch on him..." He said. I blinked.

"What? You sure you used Focus Punch?" I asked trying hard not to shake.

"Yeah, I am a hundred percent sure." He told me.

"Alex, can you please come outside with me?" I asked him, unable to hold it any longer. I went out and he followed.

"What is it?" He asked me.

"You are a monster of nature, you are going to die." I said as I charged at him with an intent to kill. He blinked but dodged the attack right before it hit him.

"What on earth are you doing?!" He yelled in fear.

"I am not going to talk to a monster!" I yelled as I charged again, this time with Frustration full power. He wasn't able to dodge and he was sent flying towards a tree, smashing hard on it.

"What are you doing?!" Sara asked as she run towards him.

"I am going to kill that monster. If you get in the way, you die as well." I said as I walked towards them. Sara didn't move, as I expected. I moved quickly and grabbed Sara from her neck. "Watch Alex. Watch me as I kill your best friend before I kill you." I said.

"NO!" He yelled and I was stunned as he charged with incredible speed and stroke me with Focus Punch. I was sent flying back and hit the ground. I got up with wide eyes.

"Alex...That was Focus Punch for sure...How did you do it?" Sara asked in awe.

"I don't know!" Alex said as he looked at her.

"I'll tell you how." I said as I walked towards them.

"Get back!" Alex said as he got a defencive stance and growled.

"You don't get it Alex, do you?" I asked. "I never wanted to hurt you guys." The both tilted their heads in questioning. "That Frustration attack would have completely crushed you if I was angry. Instead, I was so happy, it wasn't more powerful than a simple Takcle." I said.

"Then why did you attack me?" He asked.

"You wanted him to act on instisct and use Focus Punch!" Sara said as it hit her.

"Exactly! Alex, this attack was Focus Punch, but the ability you used was neither Focus Punch nor Mirror Move." I said, surprised by myself my voice was steady. "It's a unique ability. An ability I've never seen in my whole life, just heard of." I said.

"What are you talking about?" Alex asked me as he narrowed his eyes.

"It's an ability that little Pokemon has ever seen. A once in a lifetime thing. The ability you used was Learning Process." I said.

"Learning Process? What does it do?" Sara asked.

"It's an ability that rarely allows the user to use a move that he or she normally couldn't." I said.

"Looks like Mirror Move to me." Alex said.

"The good part is..." I said. Both Alex and Sara looked at me with serious looks. "...that the user permanently learns the move." I finished. They gasped when they heard what I said.

"What?" Alex yelled. 'Are you kidding me." I shook my head. "I can't believe it!" He yelled.

"The only problem is that if you use a move you've learned through Learning Process, you waste twice the power it normally needs. That makes the user's stamina drop." I said.

"Oh, so it's a double-edge." Sara said.

"Yeah. Listen up, tomorrow, we're gonna have special training. Go to sleep so you can be fresh. I'm gonna check some books to find more info on it." I said.

"But..." They both started.

"Go. We're going to talk about it more tomorrow." I said.

000

Alex and Sara woke up and finished their breakfast in no time. They waited for Aberith anxiously.

"I can't wait to hear more of this ability." Alex said as he paced in front of Sara.

"Sit down Alex, you're driving me crazy!" Sara yelled at him. "I am as anxious as well, but I am not pacing back and forth!"

"I am sorry Sara, it's just so nerve wrecking..." Alex said. The door opened and Aberith walked in. His face was dark thought.

"Good morn...What's wrong?" Alex asked as he saw him.

"I got something here you are not gonna like." He said as he gave them one sheet of paper on each.

"Thins can't be..." Sara said as she looked at it. In front of her stood her picture. On the upper part of the sheet, it wrote with big letters 'WANTED' and on the lower part '5000 PODS*'. A similar sheet was on Alex's hand with his photo instead of hers.

Ok, so now we are criminals! What have we done to put a bounty on our heads? Seriously, if I find who's responsible, I'm gonna make his eat those wanted posters! That's gonna make our journey far more difficult...

End of Chapter.

*PODS Are the money I am going to use on my story. I don't know if anyone has ever used that name, so if I have copied it, then I am sorry.

First OC appeared! Next chapter will reveal another one. About the chapter, I was full of inspiration and I believe it's the best chapter I've written! That's why I want your opinion. Come on press the link below and tell me. I am dyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyying to know. :D


	11. Wanted

**CHAPTER 11: WANTED**

Alex's pov

I looked at the poster in front of me in shock. I didn't know who did this, but I had a hint. Sara and I had survived an attack from the 'Order of the Dragon', which made us targets. Now it would be a lot more difficult to go on with our plan to save our parents...

"That damn Blaze!" Sara cursed as she lifted her head.

"That's what I thought as well. Blaze must be the one that put the bounty." I said.

"What are you talking about Alex? Read below the 'WANTED'." She told me. I raised an eyebrow and did as she said.

"Alex the Eevee, son of Jason the Flareon and Nali the Glaceon. Alex is one of the two survivors of the village of Brill, which is accused of plotting against His Majesty Marcus the Dragonite." I read and then I just glared at the poster. Accused of plotting? Are they serious?

"Alex, are you all right?" Aberith asked me. I lifted my head and looked at him.

"Yeah. We're going to carry on as we planned. This is just a minor obstacle that we'll have to face." I said. He nodded and I turned to Sara. "Are you with me?" I asked her. She smiled at me.

"You know the answer to that, don't you?" She said.

"Aberith, what's going to happen to those that plot against Marcus?" I asked him.

"Just plot, not acted against him, right?" He asked and I nodded. "In that case, they are taken to the Repentance Temple. It's a community prison that they take those who plot against Marcus."

"So that means that our parents and the rest of the villagers are on this Repentance Temple?" Sara asked.

"Yes. Are you gonna feel better if I tell you it's the safest prison? And as a community, it provides certain freedom." He asked. I immediately felt a weight off my back.

"Yeah it does." I said. "Ok, let's carry on the conversation we had last night." I said as I looked at him smiling.

"Oh yeah, Learning Process. I looked at my books and I got more info on it." He said.

"So...?" Sara asked eagerly.

"It's going to be really helpful Alex." He started. "Their is a small chance you'll learn how to use any type of moves except from certain ones. For example, you won't be able to use moves like Wing Attack or Steel Wing, since you don't have wings. There are some rules you need to know." He said.

"I am eager to hear them." I said as my heart started beating really fast.

"First, you can't use moves against your body nature. That means you can't use attacks that requires Wings, Scales, Beaks etc. Second, you can't use Moves of your opposing element. At the moment you don't have opposing element, but you're gonna get one when you evolve. If you evolve into Glaceon, you won't be able to use fire type attacks. If you evolve into Espeon, you won't be able to use Dark attacks etc. Finally, you mustn't use strong moves, like Hyper Beam many times." He said.

"That sounds really cool!" I said in awe.

"It does indeed. I never expected I could see anyone able to use this ability before I died. Thank you Alex." Aberith said as he looked at me full of emotion.

"I have to thank you. If it wasn't for you, I'd never have known about it." I said as I looked at his as well.

"Guys, I think we should start our training. We've already wasted too much time." Sara said and smiled as she headed outside.

000

Cane's pov

I was walking through the corridors of the huge castle. I still remember the first time I entered this castle more than 20 years ago. I was a young boy back then, still a Kabuto. My parents sold me to the royal family to become a slave. A Kabuto is always useful in one way or another. Many has happened since that day... I evolved and I became so strong and loyal, that I managed to even get His Majesty's trust. Lost in my thoughts, I accidentally passed by Freezes room. I got to the door and knocked twice.

"Hello, who is it?" A voice came from inside.

"Hello Freeze, it's me Cane." I said. The door quickly opened and the young Snorunt hugged me tightly.

"Daddy!" She yelled. I smiled and I hugged her warmly. She released the hug after a while and smiled at me. "How are you? With all that work lately, I haven't seen you at all!" She complained.

"I am sorry my dear." I said as I laughed nervously. "I promise I'll try to hang out with you more often." I told her.

"You promised, so I'll hold you to it." She said and smiled.

We walked together and chatted. We hadn't seen each other for about two days now. I already knew how her days were, since she always followed a certain daily schedule, but I asked anyway. I liked the way she spoke, with so much excitement. She may not have been my biological daughter, but I cared for her as much I would if she was. We left the indoors of the castle and reached the garden.

"That's all that happened during those two days." She finished.

"Looks like you had a great time my dear." I told her.

"So, how were your days?" She asked me.

"Not much has happened. More and more Pokemon request audience with His Majesty." I said and signed.

"What about Blaze's assignment? You know, about the village on the other side of Valoria." She asked as she got serious.

"Well, the official story is that the vilagers have plotted against His Majesty. A bright idea Blaze had, if you ask me" I said.

"The official. Now tell me what's going on." She said.

"His Majesty finally found the Pokemon he was searching for. They were villagers of Brill and they are now held to the Repentance Temple." I told her.

"He finaly found them...Now what?" She asked me.

"I wish I knew...For a first time, he didn't tell me his plans." I said.

"So this must be something big..." She said and I nodded. I hope things don't get ugly...

000

Alex's pov

We were sitting on the table, after some long hours of intense training, even Aberith was full of sweat. I was so hungry, I felt like I hadn't eaten anything since last morning. We had been eating in silence for some moments.

"Aberith..." Sara started, breaking the silence.

"What is it?" He asked as he looked at her.

"Aren't 5000 PODS a bit too much for us?" She asked worriedly. Aberith remained silent for a couple of seconds.

"Actually, I had been thinking about it..." He started. "When I found you, you would hardly worth 500 POD. At first, I was really shocked...but then a thought crossed my mind."

"Mind sharing it with us?" I asked as I thought about it as well. 5000 PODS are a lot of money.

"I think the one that placed your bounty, wants you alive." He said. I tilted my head.

"How did you get that idea?" I asked.

"You see, when someone collects a bounty, they ask for proof. If he or she brings the target alive, then they get a bonus." He said.

"So by placing a lot more than we worth, then we would most likely be captured and brought alive!" Sara said.

"Exactly." He said.

"Aberith, do you think we can stand for a 5000 PODS bounty?" I asked. Sara looked at me and then at Aberith, realising I had a point.

"In my opinion, you do. I dare say you worth more than that." He said.

"Really?" I asked in shock. I didn't see that coming.

"That doesn't mean that you can easily escape bounty hunters. There might be some really capable and outsmart you." He said.

"Not for as long as I have Sara." I said and smiled at her. She smiled at me, but I think I saw her blush...Nah, it must have been my imagination.

"Thanks." She told me.

"You can't always count on Sara to get you out of a hard situation." Aberith told me.

"I know. But if anything happens, I am gonna use a super powerfull attack using Learning Process!" I joked. Instantly, Aberith's eyes widened.

"No you won't!" He yelled. I jumped in surprise. "You must never use Learning Process unless it's an emergency. This will be you last resort and your trump card." He said.

"Ok..." I said.

"He is right Alex. That may save us from some difficult circumstances. If our enemies know about Learning Process, they will have a plan to counter it." Sara told me.

"Ok, I get the point! No Learning Process, unless it's a must." I said in anger.

"Good. Now that it's settled, let's go carry on our training." Aberith said and headed outside.

000

Fred's pov

Our first day inside this community prison passed. At first, we were glad that the Repentance Temple was so free. We were settled in a small house like old times, a little before we moved to Brill. But it didn't last for long. Blaze had to come and crush us with those wanted posters. How could he place such a huge amount of money as bounties of children? All four of us stayed up all night. Ann and Nali run out of tears this morning, after crying the whole night. Even my partner and I shed tears. It was almost nightfall of the next day when we left the house to get some fresh air.

"I swear to Arceus, when we get out of here, I am going to kill Blaze with my own hands." Jason said.

"You decided to talk after a whole night of silence and that's what you say?" Nali asked him. She looked defeated.

"I don't blame him. I want to do that as well." I said as my anger took over. Sometimes, it's better to let your anger feed you. It takes over and overcomes the sadness and the pain.

"Guys please. Let's just walk, get some fresh air. Try to calm from the anger AND the pain." Ann said and she signed. "It's so damn hard, but we have to try." She continued. I got next to her and I rubbed my head on hers lightly.

"She is right." I said. "We need to calm down and try to find a way to get our children out of this mess."

"Fred, that's useless." Jason told me. "We can't get out of that prison with that blasted 'Zin'." I signed.

"Come on guys, we won't lose anything if we try." Nali said. 'Try'... That word had been used so many times on this conversation.

"Well, there is one more thing we can do." Ann said as she looked down. "We can hope. Hope that Sara and Alex are going to hide on a discontiguous village and live a normal life." She said.

"Or hope that they have trained and become so strong, that they can come here and rescue us. Yeah right." I joked trying to lighten the mood. I got a week glare by the girls and a serious expression by Jason.

"That would be really stupid. They would never do it." Nali said, but after a second her eyes widened. "Or would they?!" She asked in shock.

000

Sara's pov

"Sara, wake up!" I heard a low whisper on my ear and I slowly opened my eyes.

"Alex? What time is it?" I asked weekly, still sleepy.

"Not so loud, keep your voice down." He whispered. I fully opened my eyes, yawned and looked at him curious.

"What's wrong?" I asked in a whisper.

"Some Pokemon came here and they are downstairs right now." He said.

"And why should I keep it down?" I asked, still whispering thought.

"They are carrying some strange equipment and they have wanted poster. They are most likely bounty hunters. They don't look friendly thought...I am afraid things may get ugly." He said.

"What do you suggest we do?" I asked a bit worried. Bounty hunters could be trouble.

"We may have to make a quick getaway. So get ready." Alex told me.

"Wait a minute, what about Aberith?" I asked him.

"Aberith won't have a problem. Don't forget he is strong." He told me. "If we see anything suspicious, we make a run for it."

"Are you sure?" I asked as I noticed something strange on his voice. Something I couldn't place my finger on, but I knew it was bad. Alex signed.

"Aberith told me while you were sleeping that someone could have seen us here. That means that some bounty hunters would be paying a visit. If that happens, we leave and start our journey a bit earlier." He said. I raised an eyebrow and looked at him.

"Why can't we just hide and return after they leave?" I asked, even thought I knew the answer.

"Cause others may come. We leave and we are safe, simple." He said. Suddenly, we heard Aberith yell. We didn't waste a single second. Alex jumped out of the window and I was right behind him.

"Run!" He yelled at me and I spead up. I could hear footsteps from behind. Probably, Aberith wasn't able to handle them all.

"We are being chased, faster Alex!" I yelled as I passed by him. We kept going till a cliff appeared in front of us. Below, there was a river. Alex looked at me and smiled.

"See you later!" He said and pushed me down. I fell down yelling and splashed in the water.

"ALEX!" I yelled as I grabbed a branch of a tree that reached the middle of the river.

"I'll keep them busy! Let the water get you as far away as possible, I will slow them down a bit and I'll follow you!" He yelled.

"No!" I yelled as I felt the branch break and the river took me with it, far to the unknown, away from my best friend.

End of Chapter. Personaly, I don't like the last sceen , but I wanted to do something like that and it was difficult...

I have posted a poll by the way! It's just a guess game to be honest. Why don't you go check it out?

Do you guys see the link below? Why don't you press it and tell me your opinion? :)


	12. A new companion A new friend

**CHAPTER 12: A NEW COMPANION - A NEW FRIEND  
**

??? POV

It was a nice evening. I took my usual road back home, after a long and exhausting day at work. The sun was close to setting, but it's rays were making my red fur wet from sweat. I cleared the sweat from my face using my paw and flickered my tails to cool them a bit. I was glad that the day was over. Today was my last day at work, considering that I was moving the day after tomorrow . That's me all right. I never stay in one place for a long time. I don't like moving every two or three months thought...

Anyway, I left the path and walked by the river. The trees provided the shadow I needed and the breeze was refreshing. Those are the times I hate being a fire type. I wanted to jump in the cool water but, fire type and water results in... I don't even want to think about it. The path was a bit rocky, but I didn't mind it. My village was built at a mountain top, so I was used to them.

As I walked, I noticed a Pokemon by the edge of the path, half inside the water. I panicked and I quickly rushed towards it. I grabbed it and dragged it out. I freaked out when I noticed she was unconscious. Not knowing what to do, I carried her on my back and reached my "House", which luckily was nearby. I entered the cave that resembled my house and placed the brown furred Pokemon on the ground. I leaned closer to her and signed in relief, as I felt her chest moving. I guess she was just exhausted, and so was I. I closed my eyes and drifted to a dreamless sleep...

I woke up and the first thing I saw was the rays of the sun. That meant it was morning already? Damn... I got up and stretched lazily. That's when I noticed that the Pokemon I had dragged out of the river yesterday was gone. I looked around the cave, but she was nowhere to be found. I hurried outside and... there she was, standing by the edge of the river. I walked towards her and greeted.

"Hello..." I said not knowing what else to do.

"Hm? Oh, hello." She said and turned to look at me. "You are the one that saved me from the river, am I right?" She asked.

"Yeah, you can say that. I am Star." I said.

"Oh right. I am Sara, nice to meet you. Also, I'd like to thank you." She said.

"Nothing at all, glad to help you." I said. "So, if I am not mistaken, you are an Eevee, right?" I asked as I inspected her.

"Yeap! And you are a Vulpix, correct?" She asked me smiling.

"Yeah, that's right." I said and smiled back. "So, what happened, did you fall in the water?" I asked. Her expression tightened for a brief second, but she regained her smile.

"Yeah, sort of." She said. "Well, it was nice to meet you, but I got to go..." She said.

"Where are you headed?" I asked her. She blinked and the placed a paw on her chin.

"I am not sure... Now that I think about it, I don't even know where I am." She looked at me "Where exactly are we?" She asked.

"We are outside Seiro." I answered. She looked at me confused.

"And where exactly is Seiro?" She asked me.

"Seiro is a village on the western Ivara. Almost on the western edge, to be exact." I answered.

"That's too far away." Sara said and her ears dropped. I lifted an eyebrow.

"Far away from what? You just said you are not sure where to go." I asked her.

"Well, I got separated from my friend and I need to find him. We were somewhere east of Brill, if you know the village." She said.

"Yeah, I know where it is, I've seen it on the map. That's too far away indeed." I said. Sara looked at me with a strange look, like she was thinking about something.

"Star, if someone from here and from Brill wanted to go to Halka, is there any village or city that their path might cross?" She asked.

"Well..." I started as I thought about it. "There is a major city right on the center of Ivara... I think it's called Bolcan." I said.

"So that's where I am headed." Sara said.

"Hey, are you going to Halka?" I asked as I realized it just now. She nodded.

"Why are you going there? I mean, Halka is a dangerous place." I said.

"I know, but..." She hesitated and I tilted my head. "Well, it's a long story, better sit down."

000

"Say something..." Sara told me. I looked at her like I was retarded. Oh boy, and I thought my life was difficult...

"What can I say?" I asked. I looked at her and raised my shoulders. "I don't think you stand a chance against them..."

"That's what I think as well, but I can't help it, I just have to go..." Deep down, I knew how she felt. I dropped my gaze.

"You see, if Alex has already started heading towards Halka, then I must hurry and wait for him at Bolcan. So I have to go as soon as possible." She said. I still don't know what came over me. Maybe the courage she had inspired me, maybe the idea that someone knew how I felt deep inside me.

"I'm coming with you." I told her. She looked at me in shock.

"What?! You really think it's a good idea to stuck with a wanted person? Things are gonna be difficult." She said.

"I am not sure, but I can't help it. It feels right, like it's supposed to be my destiny..." I said.

"I am not going to turn down your offer. I need all the help I can get and I am sure Alex is doing the same." Sara said. I smiled as I looked at her. A new companion... a new friend.

"So, we don't have much time! We have a lot of planning to do and so little time. Go get some supplies, berries and water, while I'm going to find the best way to go to Bolcan. She nodded and grabbed her backpack.

I got inside the cave and grabbed my stuff. I opened the map in front of me and found the location of both Seiro and Bolcan on the map. Those two locations were pretty far from each other. I took my organs and started marking the cities and villages we were going to stay and get supplies, or the safe locations we could camp. I ended up creating three possible paths. After that, I calculated the time it would take us to get to Bolcan, considering the time of the year, the weather, the "Wanted" problem and added a couple of days in case we got delayed by anything unpredictable. Finally, I compared the paths and categorized them in "Fast", "Safe" and "Harsh". I studied the paths for about ten minutes and Sara returned.

"How is it going?" She asked me.

"Good I'd say. Come here, I need your opinion." I told her. She came closer and looked at the map. "There are three choices. The first path we can take is fast, but it's also a lot risky, if you think that you are a wanted person and that we pass through some dangerous places like marshes. The second path is the safest, but it will take some time to get there. The last one is going to be faster than second, but we are going to have to get through mountains and thick forests." I said.

"If we weren't in such a hurry, I would take the safe one, but not now... I suggest we don't take the chance on the fast one either. Well, I say we take the last one." She said and looked at me.

"I must warn you, I've been traveling for quite some time now. Sometimes, I've taken the safe path, others I've taken the harsh path. We will get pushed to our limits there." I warned her.

"How long is it going to take us to get to Bolcan if we take the harsh path?" Sara asked me.

"It's going to take from 10 to 15 days... depends." I said.

"Then we better get started." She said. She looked at me and smiled. "Although I have known you for a couple of hours, I feel like I can trust you with my life..." She said and I blinked. Not because what she said sounded ridiculous... But because I felt the exact same way...

000

Nali's POV

I looked at the sky and let out a heavy sign. Another day inside this prison, another day away from my son that is supposed to be a wanted criminal. I am really glad that we ended up being imprisoned in a community. If I was kept inside a cage, I would lose my sanity for sure. Ann was in far worse condition than me, since she was more sentimental than me... I tried as best as I could to keep my pain inside and stay strong for her. I looked at her as she was sleeping. Luckily the day was worm and it was easy to lay down and sleep.

Jason and Fred had gone to help a "neighbor" that was baking bread. I know it's crazy, but he does! That was another plus on this prison. You can do anything you want except try to escape, so anyone could open a bakery, a flower shop or anything he or she just had to inform the authorities. I had been thinking about that as well... It would be a great way to keep my mind away from the dark thoughts I had. I just didn't know what exactly to do.

"Nali, you all right?" A voice made me snap out of my thoughts. I looked down at Ann, who was completely awake now.

"Yeah I'm fine. I was just thinking about something." I told her.

"And what might that be? Seriously, I am going to die from boredom here!" She said and smiled at me. I could see that she was still hurt though...

"I think that we should find something to do, like our dear "neighbor". What do you think?" I asked her.

"What do you suggest?" She asked me. I thought about it for some time and then I looked at her.

"We could create something like a club..." I said. Ann raised an eyebrow and I looked at her. "Come on, we can gather somewhere and play cards, read newspapers or... I don't know, stuff like that." I said.

"You know, even thought it sounds stupid, it might be a good idea." She told me.

"You think?" I asked as I mentally started thinking about things we could do. And we needed to get more members. This could be great!

000

Day ... What day on earth is it? Damn, I have lost count again! Nah, I was never good at maths anyway! Day Idontremember. Today I woke up before dawn and I trained till the sun was right above my head. I continued with meditation, below the waterfall till sunset and I finished with some muscle relaxation exercises before nightfall. I can say that my strength and stamina has increased a lot on the last month. I hope I could say the same for my concentration... Anyway, tomorrow I am going to take on those bandits that leave in the forest. If I am not able to defeat them, then it means I am weaker than them, which means I am far weaker than Him. If I die tomorrow, then it means I deserved it...

End of chapter.

Sorry about this you guys, at least sorry Starwings1, Fallen Vanguard and G.F.T.W, since you are the only ones left reading my story... Thanks guys for reading my story, please review.


	13. Why did I have to accept!

**CHAPTER 13: WHY DID I HAVE TO ACCEPT?!**

"I'll keep them busy! Let the water get you as far away as possible, I will slow them down a bit and I'll follow you!" Alex yelled as he turned around just in time to avoid the incoming Psybeam.

"Looks like someone's lucky." A voice said and a Kadabra appeared. "But luck alone won't save you. Alex the Eevee." The Kadabra said.

"So you are a bounty hunter after all." Alex said as he gazed at his opponent. His brain worked hard. He recalled the lessons he had with Aberith. The Pokemon in front of him was a Kadbra, a psychic type.

"Yeah. I prefer to do easy job though. That's why I go after wanted persons with low bounties. Bounties like yours." The ant like Pokemon said.

"I warn you, don't take me lightly. I may not look tough, but I assure you I am." Alex said as he took a fighting stance and glared at his opponent.

"Don't take me lightly as well, kid. I am Zak, a well known bounty hunter." The Kadabra said.

Zak started the battle with a quick Psybeam, which Alex evaded easily due to the distance between them. He then fired his Swift attack, but Zak used Light Screen and took minor damage. Zak used Disable and Alex was unable to use his swift attack. Zak used Confusion and hit Alex, making him place his paws over his head and scream in pain. The effect wore off and Alex jumped on the side to evade another Psybeam. He then used Quick Attack and when he got close, he side stepped, evading the incoming Energy Ball. He then used Sand Attack, but quickly jumped back as he saw Zak's Psycho Cut attack cut through his Sand Attack. Alex growled as he saw every single one of his attacks fail. He had to keep him busy a little longer. Zak looked at him and smiled.

"Don't think that this Absol is coming to the rescue. We had planned about him." Zak said. Alex's eyes widened.

"What do you mean by that?!" Alex demanded.

"We know he is strong, but we have technology. Don't worry, he isn't going to get hurt, he'll just be unable to resist us till we take you away." He said.

"Then I just have to defeat you. I don't care if you are a well known hunter!" Alex said.

He tried to use Swift and mentally signed in relief as the golden stars made their way towards Zak. He used Psybeam and the two attacks collided, causing a small explosion. Alex used Quick Attack and passed through the smoke, ready to hit Zak. But to his surprise, Zak wasn't there. Zak appeared right behind him and used Psychic right on his back. Alex was thrown away and smashed on a tree, letting out a cry of pain. He struggled to get up and Zak charged at him and grabbed him from the neck.

"You are far too weak for 5000 PODS! It's too bad that other Eevee, Sara escaped. I could have gotten 10000 PODS without even trying!" Zak said as he got ready to use Hypnosis.

"Let's change that, shall we?" Alex said.

He opened his mouth and shot a powerful Shadow Ball in point black range. The Kadabra was taken completely aback and screamed as the attack was super effective. Alex didn't lose a moment. He jumped in the air and tackled Zak. He followed up a Headbutt and finished with another Shadow Ball. Zak screamed again and fall down unconscious. Alex was breathing hard. If Zak hadn't used Light Screen, he would have ended it faster. On the state he was, he would lose to the other hunters. He had no other chose than to jump in the water after Sara. Aberith was really powerful, he wouldn't have any problem with them.

000

??? POV

I kept walking west inside the thick forest, headed straight for the fortress of those bandits. That would be my final test before I began my journey. I woke up at dawn and relaxed my intense muscles under the forceful water of the waterfall. I would give it my best and accept the consequences in case I lost. After a couple of minutes, I reached the clearing and the huge wooden fence appeared in front of me. I smiled as I walked towards the gate and looked up. It was at least five meters high and well barricaded. I cleared my throat and yelled as hard as I could.

"Hey you bastards, come out here, I challenge you!" I yelled and waited for a response. Rushing footsteps were heard from the inside and soon enough, a Mankey appeared on top of the gate looking terrified, until he spotted me.

"Hey, are you the one that yelled just now?" He asked.

"Yeah, come down here and fight me!" I yelled. The Mankey looked around like he was searching for something and when he saw that there was no one with me, he started laughing.

"Get out of here you stupid brat! We don't have time to deal with kids like you." He said.

"What did you say?! Come down here and say that again!" I yelled at him as I raised my fists in the air threatenly.

"Seriously now kid, leave before you get hurt. I can keep my cool, but my boss is sort tempered." The Mankey said as he waved his hand, motioning for me to leave.

"Shut up and come down to face me you banana fur ball!" I yelled at him.

"What did you call me?!" The Mankey yelled as it jumped down. "You idiotic blue raccoon, I am going to make sorry!" He yelled.

The Mankey charged at me and unleashed a Fury Swipes attack, which I easily dodged and threw him an uppercut. He was thrown back and hit the ground, but instantly stood up. He frowned and charged again with Karate Chop. I blocked it with my hand and used Counter, striking him on the chest and forcing a moan of pain out of him. Not wanting to lose that chance, I used Quick Attack and slammed at his left side. The Mankey yelled again, but managed to jump back. I smiled and rushed at him, ready to blast him away with my Force Palm. Unfortunately, I hadn't anticipated his Low Kick, that threw me off-balance and I fall on my face. He then grabbed me and I felt myself spinning and crushing on a tree by his Seismic Toss attack. I growled as I got up and charged with Quick Attack. The Mankey though, used Screech and forced me to cover my ears, letting my guard down. The sound slowly faded and I barely managed to dodge his Karate Chop. That gave me an opening, I grabbed him by the tail, started spinning on myself and released my grip, the force crushing him on a tree. I run as fast as I could and placed my palms over his chest, releasing my Force Palm, forcing the fighting type Pokemon through the tree and right into another, before he finally passed out.

"One down, some hundred more to go." I said and started walking towards the gate. To my surprise, up the gate, stood many Pokemon, looking at me with awe. "What's so strange? Why are you looking at me like I'm an UFO?" I asked sarcastically.

"You...You defeated Chip!" A Dunsparce said between her trembles. I raised an eyebrow.

"What's so special about this banana fur ball?" I asked.

"Chip is the leader's right hand since I can remember!" The Dunsparce said.

"The leader's right hand...This banana fur ball? Looks like I was wrong." I said. Everyone looked at me with a curious look on their face. "If the banana fur ball is one of the strongest, then it won't be a challenge."

"So, you want a real challenge, don't you?" A voice said and I turned back to see a huge Machoke. "You come here looking for a tough opponent, aren't you?" He asked.

"Le...leader!" All the Pokemon yelled when they saw the Machoke. I raised an eyebrow and smiled at him. That was it, the opponent I needed.

"So, you are the toughest here? Then I'll just have to make a quick work on you and then I will begin my journey!" I said and took a fighting stance.

"Hold your horses, I have a proposition for you." The Machoke said. I narrowed my eyes, but I kept my stance. "We found a Pokemon and want to test his strength. I want you to fight against him so I can see what he's worth. After that, I'll fight you." He said.

"Well..." I said as I thought about it. "Since I'm going to fight someone, you are on!" I accepted his challenge. Little did I know that my opponent would play such a major role in my life.

000

Alex's POV

I slowly opened my eyes. There wasn't much light, so was it close to nightfall? No, I could see some rays enter the room from the closed curtains of the window. Wait, a room? I quickly got up and inspected the room. It wasn't all that big, neither well accommodated, but you could relax and have some sleep peacefully. I didn't have time for this though, so I headed for the door and opened it. I walked outside and the sun blinded me so I had to shield my eyes. That's when I heard a voice near me.

"So, the Eevee has finally decided to join us!" The clearly male voice said.

"Who are you, where am I, what's going on?" I asked as I tried to look at the speaker.

"Well, so full of questions, aren't we!" The voice asked. "My identity doesn't concern you, you are in our headquarters and there's nothing going on at the moment." The voice said and I frowned.

"You didn't answer any of my questions. What headquarters? Most of all, what am I doing inside your headquarters?" I asked, as I started to lose my cool. The Pokemon in front of my signed.

"I have no time to explain, follow me." He said as he started walking. I finally removed my hands from my eyes and inspected the Pokemon in front of me. I recognized it as an Electrike and I followed him. The headquarters were huge, just a little smaller than Brill. There were training grounds and many buildings for unknown to me use.

"Are you guiding me outside?" I asked, although I knew that would be most unlike. He turned and smiled at me.

"Nop, our leader wants to see you. He got a proposition for you." The Electrike said as he stopped in front of a huge wooden building, probably their leader's place. I walked in and a Machoke came into view.

"Hello Alex, I hope you slept well." He said. Although he was the first Machoke I'd ever seen, I could tell he was far too tall and muscled.

"Yeah, the bed was really comfortable." I said as I walked closer to him and looked at him straight in the eyes. "The Electrike there told me you have a proposition for me. I know you aren't going to let me walk out of here peacefully, so let me hear it." I said.

"Straight to the point, I like you boy!" He said and smiled. "There is a certain person I want to recruit, but I am not sure about his strength. I want you to fight him, so I can see if he is worth join us. After that, you'll be free to go wherever you got to go." He said.

"So, you just want me to fight someone, so you can judge his strength. I don't think I'd be the best person to do that." I said trying to avoid the fight. I knew something was wrong.

"Nonsense! I know you are. Now get ready, your opponent is ready and will soon enter the field." The Machoke said and turned his back on me.

000

I felt a bit nervous as I walked through the crowd of Pokemon that looked at me like I was some racetrack Ponyta. Seriously, those guys were cheering for me, while others made some strange expression on my behalf. I ignored them and walked down the few stairs that leaded me into the field of our battle. Why did I have to accept damn it. In front of me, stood a blue and black fox like Pokemon. I recalled having read about it on one of Aberith's books... But my mind was stack from the nervousness.

"Welcome everyone! Today, we're going to have a battle between those two Pokemon. On that corner..." The Machoke said as he pointed at me "We have Alex the Eevee, let's hear it for him folks!" Cheers were heard as soon as he ended his sentence. "On that corner..." He said pointing on the other Pokemon's side "We have Lore the Riolu, let's hear it for him as well forks!" He said.

"That's right, Riolu!" I said as I recalled. Riolu was a fighting type and I, as a normal type, would have a huge problem. Why did I have to accept damn it!?

End of Chapter. So, how did you guys like it? I think it's good, not perfect, but good. Thanks guys for supporting me, please review.

G.F.T.W: Here he is, stop complaining now! (Just kidding :D)


	14. Obstacles

**CHAPTER 14: OBSTACLES**

The village was in destruction. Everywhere, you could see burnt buildings, destroyed carts and wounded Pokemon. The Pokemon wore some desperate expressions, as they looked at the once beautiful and busy place. All the villagers had gathered in the middle of the village, on the square that the market once stood. The Mayor struggled to find something comforting to say to them, but to no avail. He signed and lowered his head, giving away into desperation as well.

"This is the third time in a month!" A fed up Kecleon said as he looked at the Mayor. "You need to do something!"

"What am I supposed to do? I already requested help from Halka, but they haven't respond at all! They don't care about us, why should they? They only care for themselves!" The Buizel said in his anger.

"They have to. I mean, this village is really important because it's the crossroads between the western and the central Ivara!" A Raichu said as she lifted her hands in frustration.

"We are no fighters, we are traders for god's sake!" A Chimecho said. "Most of us have never fought for real in our lives before!"

"The lil fellow is right, we ain't fighters, we can't take on bandits!" A Charmander said.

"Everyone calm down!" The Mayor said as he placed his palms to silence them. "I know how feel, that's how I feel as well. I have tried, believe me, I have tried really hard to find a solution and the only one I came across was this." He said and everyone looked at him with anticipation. "We are sort of wealthy village, aren't we?" They all nodded. "So we can afford a couple of bounty hunters, can't we?" He said. Everyone's eyes widened.

"Hey, that's a great idea!" The Raichu said. "We place a bounty on their head and each one of us gives a couple of coins. No sweat!" She said.

"Congratulation Mayor! That's why we elected you!" A Totodile said and everyone cheered.

"So, you are thinking about getting a bounty on my head, ha?" A voice said and everyone froze. "Let's see if it's going to work..."

000

The mountain was pretty big. A lot bigger than Brillage in Sara's opinion. She recalled Star saying that the rough path would push her to her limit, but that was ridiculous. They had been walking a path that was so sort, that she could barely walk it. Two days ago, they left Star's "home" and they started their journey towards Halka. And to think that in those two days, they had made so little progress... She knew that she had to keep going if she wanted to reach Bolcan before Alex did, and that was the only reason she didn't ask Star to rest for a while.

The Vulpix on the other hand, wasn't struggling at all. She was walking steadily and cheerfully, as if she had been doing this since she was born. She was leading the way and every now and then, she turned to look at her. But even thought she was cheerful, she hadn't said a word since they started climbing the mountain.

"You all right Sara?" She asked as she turned and looked at her.

"Yeah, don't worry about me, just keep going." Sara said.

"Don't worry, we'll soon reach Vall, a village at the top of the mountain." She said. Sara signed in relief on hearing this.

"We're going to get supplies from there?" Sara asked.

"Yeah, Vall is well known for its huge market. It's really busy, even though it's a village." Sara tilted her head.

"You sure we should visit a busy place with my little problem?" Sara asked her.

"Don't worry, the place is so busy that they won't spot you at all."

The duo kept walking the sort path up the mountain for about half an hour. When they finally reached the summit, Sara stretched and smiled as her bones cracked and her muscles relaxed. She then followed Star who was a bit ahead of her. Suddenly, Star stopped in her tracks, and Sara who was running towards her, literally bumped into her and made her fall face first in the ground.

"Arg, sorry Star!" Sara said as she helped her up. "Are you alright?" She asked her.

"Yeah..." Star answered.

"What happened, why did you stop like that?" Sara asked her.

"Look over there and you'll understand." She answered and placed a paw in front of her, pointing in the distance. Sara followed the direction of her paw and gasped at the sight in front of her.

"What the heck?!" She managed to say as she saw the ruined village in front of her.

"That's what I was about to say before I ate some, not so tasty, piece of ground." Star said and looked at Sara. "Let's hurry there and see what's wrong." She said and started running, with Sara close behind her. They reached the village, but they saw no one.

"Where are all the villagers?" Sara asked as she looked at Star. "You don't suppose they are..." Sara asked, unable to finish her sentence.

"Dead? I don't know... Let's go deeper and let's find out." Star said and started walking inside the village.

"Hey, wait for me!" Sara said as she hurried behind her.

Everywhere they turned their gaze, they saw burned or destroyed buildings, smashed cargos, broken pieces of wood and smashed berries, as well as other things you can buy from the market. It wasn't difficult to guess what had happened. The village was attacked by bandits. There was something really strange thought... Where did the villagers go? If this village was so well known, the attack would have become known as well. Since they didn't have any information of that kind, it meant it was attacked recently.

"Where did everyone go?" Sara asked. "What do you think Star?"

"I can tell the burns on some of the building were recent, while some others were from some time there. That means the village was attacked more than once." She said.

"You were able to figure that out, just by the burns?" Sara asked and Star nodded. "Wow, you are amazing!" She said in awe.

"Excuse me..." A voice said and both of them tuned to face the speaker. A little Cherubi was sitting there. "You aren't here to hurt me, are you?" The little Pokemon asked as she looked at them.

"No, of course not!" Sara and Star said at the same time. "What happened here?" Star asked.

"Some mean Pokemon appeared and caused havoc. They came again and again. My father told me that they only wanted food and that they wouldn't hurt us... But yesterday, they came and took everyone away... My father hid me in the secret storage room under the carpet. I was too scared to leave, but I knew I had to..." She said and started crying.

"No, please don't cry!" Sara said as she confronted the little girl.

"Where's daddy?!" She yelled and kept crying harder. Sara looked at Star with a sad look.

"I know what you mean..." She said and walked towards the girl. "Ok, listen what. We are going to get some help and save your daddy and the rest of the villagers." She said. "Right Sara?"

"Yeah, don't worry, you'll be with your daddy soon enough!" She said.

"Well, well, what do we have here?" A voice asked from behind them. They turned around and they saw two Pokemon looking at them with grins on their faces. The one was a Glameow and the other was a Roselia.

"Who are you!" Star demanded as she got in front of the Cherubi protectively.

"It's none of your business, but I am in a good mood, so I am going to tell you." The Roselia said as she took a step forward. "I am Rose and the one next to me is Glay." She said.

"Wow, those names really suits you." Star said with a small grin on her face.

"Shut up! I am not here for chatting, I am here to take care of those that goes against boss's plan." The Glameow said.

"Really?" She asked. "Then take care of us...If you can that is." The vulpix said.

"Get back! If you stay here you're gonna get hurt!" Sara told the Cherubi and took a battle stance.

Glay was the one to begin the battle, as he charged towards Star with Fury Swipes. Star side stepped and used Tail Whip against his chest. Normally, this attack would do nothing, but since Star had eight tails, the attack was a bit powerful. Glay was thrown a few meters back, but landed easily on his feet. Rose joined the battle as she fired her Poison Sting towards Star, but Star fired her Ember and canceled the attack. Out of nowhere, a spray of golden start made their way towards Rose, hitting her and forcing her towards Glay. Sara and Star looked at each other and nodded. They both started running towards them and increased their speed, smashing onto Rose and Glay with their Quick Attack. After that, they followed up with Shadow Ball and Will-O-Wisp, the ghostly energy ball hitting on the Roselia's chest, while the blue flames enveloped the Glameow. The both of them hit the ground hard, but managed to get on their feet.

The second round begun, as Rose smiled and placed her hands in the air, gathering energy, while Glay's claws were enveloped by a ghostly energy. They both unleashed their attacks together, Star sidestepped and evaded the Solabeam, only to be hit by Glay's Shadow Claw. Sara, wasn't able to move out of the way and the beam collided with her. Rose smiled as she turned her attension full on Star. The Vulpix growled and attacked with Frustration, hitting hard on the Glameow, but she was soon shot back by Rose's Bullet Seed.

"Give up, you can't beat us." Rose said as she looked at the exhausted Vulpix.

"We will beat you, be sure about it." Star said.

"We? What are you talking about? The Eevee that was with you was sent flying by my Solarbeam." Rose said with a twisted smile.

"What?!" Star asked as she looked around, trying to find Sara.

"Your friend was just TOO slow." Glay said smiling.

"Yeah, right!" A voice below him said, and before Glay could react, he was sent flying by Sara's Dig attack. "Sorry to keep you waiting Star."

"You had me worried there!" Star said as she signed in relief. "So, ready for the final round?" She asked.

"Final round, ha?" Rose asked as she glared at the injured Glameow . "Ok." She said.

Sara charged forward with Quick Attack, while Rose used Magical Leaf. Sara kept going forward and mare inches before the leafs cut her, Star's Ember canceled them. Sara side stepped and smashed on Roses left side sending her some meters back. Glay charged at Star with Hidden Power and shot her flying towards Sara. Rose took advantage of that and smiled before unleashing her most powerful attack. Leaves appeared all around her and moved with incredible speed towards the dazed due. Star snapped out of it and used Flamethrower against the Leaf Storm, reducing its power as it swallowed them. When the leaved cleared, both Sara and Star appeared with scratches all over their bodies. They both charged forward and used Quick Attack against Rose. In the middle of the course, they changed and charged towards Glay, who had charged against them with Shadow Claw. Star unleashed a powerful Flamethrower from point black ranged at the stunned Glameow and Sara smashed into him. The Glameow was thrown to a tree and fainted immediately. Sara cried in pain as Rosa's Poison Sting struck her back and Star turned around and fired another Flamethrower at her, followed by a Will-O-Wisp, forcing a yell of pain out of the Roselia before she fainted.

"That's it for them." Star said as she walked towards Sara. "Are you all right?" She asked as she looked at her friend.

"Yeah, just a bit injured. We got hit hard by that Leaf Storm, didn't we?" Sara asked as she got up.

"We'll be fine." Star said as she smiled at Sara. Suddenly, she closed her eyes and fall, but luckily Sara caught her.

"Looks like you are exhausted. Let's rest for a while till we continue." Sara said.

"She doesn't look so good..." Sara turned and looked in relief at the Cherubi.

"She'll be fine, just get us somewhere we can set her down." She said and the Cherubi nodded and started hopping, while Sara followed her with the unconscious Vulpix on her back.

End of Chapter

Hey, what's wrong with Star's sarcastic attitude? She isn't supposed to be that sarcastic, right? Please Review.


	15. Fights that binds

**CHAPTER 15: FIGHTS THAT BINDS  
**

Alex's pov

The Riolu in front of me was having some warm up exercises as he waited for the battle to start. I decided it would be wise to follow his lead, considering the fact that I was still relaxed from the sleep. All the Pokemon that surrounded the field, were talking to each other, inspecting us or yelling in excitement. I finished my warm up and felt my muscle ready for the upcoming duel. I would put the knowledge I had gained from Aberith's lessons in this duel against the disadvantage I had. The Machoke lifted his hands and the field fell in silence.

"What are you two waiting for? When I announced you, the battle begun!" He said.

The Riolu wasted no time at all and charged at me, but I knew better than to wait for him. I jumped to the right and back stepped to create some distance between us. His special attack and defense are weaker, so it would be best to keep that distance. I fired a Shadow Ball against him, but he dodged by sidestepping. He quickly charged again, but this time his speed increased and I was barely able to dodge his Quick Attack. That didn't help though, as he placed his palms on my chest and I felt a shockwave shook my entire body and throwing me several feet back. I growled as the Force Palm was super effective against me, but jumped back as I saw my opponent charging at me again. So he just charges like that ha? Then I will take advantage of that. He charged again, ready to throw me a punch, which I easily dodged and used Sand Attack, forcing him to cover his eyes and fall back. I used this to my advantage, as I jumped and fired a Shadow Ball at him, which successfully collided, and used the speed I gained to Tackle him, forcing him to fall with his back on the ground. I then jumped back to create distance.

"That was good." The Riolu said as he rose to his feet and looked at me. "You are better than I thought, which means I have to go serious on you." He said.

"I'd like that. Let's see your true potential." I said as I took a defensive stance.

He charged at me again, but something was different. His movement was slower, which meant he was about to make a maneuver. I smiled as he sidestepped on the last second, and I ducked under his punch. I used Headbutt on his chest and followed up with Swift sending him flying back. He got up again and growled as he charged towards me. I sidestepped and was ready to slam on his side, but he grabbed my tail and hit me head on with Counter, forcing a moan of pain out of me. He didn't let my tail thought, and he kicked me on the chest with his leg, which was literally on fire. I was thrown upwards and hit the ground hard. I got up and grabbed my chest, feeling like I would throw up. I looked at him in disbelief. I suddenly realized that my surroundings had stopped yelling and were looking at the Riolu in awe.

"What?" He asked as he looked around. "Haven't you seen Blaze Kick before in your life?"

"Where did you learned how to use Blaze Kick?" I asked breathing hard.

"Well, it was something I knew since I was born." He said and tilted his head.

"Lore was it? You know, you are really tough." I said as I glared at him. "That doesn't mean you are going to win though. I have a task in hand and I can't complete it if I lose to you." I said and took a fighting stance.

"A task ha?" He asked as he smiled. "And you can't complete it if you lose to me? Well, same goes for me, so I am not about to lose either!" He said.

We both charged towards each other at the same time and then it happened. I knew I couldn't win if I didn't use it. I gathered energy on my right paw and it started glowing as Lore drew closer. Lore's right hand started glowing as well, and we brought our hands and paws and stroke our opponent's face. I was thrown flying back and so did Lore. We both hit the ground on the same time. I could feel my head spin as I struggled to get up. When it finally started to clear, I looked at Lore, only to find out he was moving like a drunk. He stopped moving and looked at me with wide eyes.

"What was that?!" He asked me.

"I have a strong right." I said trying to cover my secret ability. "What do you think?" I asked him.

"That was..." He was cut off though, as the Machoke's voice was heard loud and clear.

"That's enough you two. You are both really skilled and strong. I made up my mind, you are both going to join us!" He said. I shook my head in order to clear it a bit. What? I thought he wanted to recruit Lore, not me as well. What's happening?

"Hey, hold on, what do you mean both? I never said I would join you!" Lore said and then it hit me.

"You wanted to recruit both of us! You made us fight each other so you could test us on the same time!" I said.

"To be honest, in the beginning I wanted to recruit you, but when I saw the power of Lore I decided to recruit him as well." He said. "That doesn't matter now, both of you come here so you can officially join our ranks."

000

Lore's pov

"No way!" The Eevee said before I could speak. "I have a task I need to complete!" He yelled.

"That's ok, when you join us, we'll help you finish it and then we'll keep on with our bandit's stuff." The Machoke said.

"I doubt you are willing to help on it. It's far too difficult and dangerous." Alex said. I raised an eyebrow. My task was difficult, not his.

"Oh come on, you think there is anything we'd be afraid of?" The leader of the bandits asked as he laughed loudly.

"The 'Order of the Dragon' maybe?" He said. My eyes opened wide as I heard him. He was going against the 'Order of the Dragon'?! The Machoke stopped laughing.

"What?! You got to be kidding me!" He said as he started laughing again. "Good one!"

"It's not a joke. They attacked my home and took everyone away. My task is to go to Halka and take them back." He said with a really serious expression written all over his face.

"You are going to Halka?" I asked as serious as Alex, before the Machoke could. Alex looked at me and nodded. "And you are going to challenge the 'Order of the Dragon'?" I asked and he nodded again. I brought my hand in front of my chin in thought. Maybe...

"Don't be ridiculous!" The Machoke said as he glared at the two of us. "You got two chooses. Join us, or die by my hands." He said.

"Then may it be die by your hands!" Alex said. I looked at him in shock. "That's my choice!" He yelled.

"So you prefer death over power?" He asked in anger. "Fine then! What's you chose Riolu?" He asked me. I smiled.

"As my opponent here said..." I said while smiling. "Bring it on!" I yelled taking a defensive stance. My answer was the final blow.

"Then DIE!" He yelled as he jumped down on the field. "I'll kill you myself!"

"He isn't gonna go down easily. Are you up for some Co-op?" Alex asked me. I glared at him.

"Fine." I said as I focused my attention on the huge opponent in front of me.

The Machoke charged towards Alex, who sidestepped and jumped on the Machoke's back, firing a Shadow Ball at him. He yelled in pain and shook, causing Alex to jumped back. I took the chance and charged towards him, placed my palms on his back and released my Force Palm sending him some feet forward. He yelled again, turned and charged towards me, only to be hit on his back again by Alex's Swift attack. The Machoke yelled, as rage was clear on his eyes. He charged towards Alex, but his speed was faster, and crashed him with his Revenge. I used Quick Attack and hit him on the back, forcing him several feet forward. Alex got up slowly and looked at the Machoke. He then looked at me.

"He is a fighting type. His defense is high, but his special defense is a lot lower. If I manage to fire him a Shadow Ball from close range into his face, it will cause much damage." He said.

"It will indeed, but in your condition, you won't be able to." I said as I looked at him. That Revenge had caused a lot of damage.

"That's why I need your help. I need you to give me some space so I can find an opening." He said and I nodded. This guys was a lot tougher than I first thought.

Before we were able to complete our attacking plan, the Machoke charged and we side stepped to avoid the hit, resulting in getting separated. He then focused his attention on Alex and used Karate Chop, which he luckily evaded and used Sand Attack, blinding the Machoke. I run towards the blinded giant with full speed, jumped and used Blaze Kick right on the back of his neck, sending him crashing to the ground. Alex had already jumped when he saw me coming and hit him on the center of his back with Headbutt. To my big surprise, the Machoke suddenly stood up and punched me on the chest as I was going for another Blaze Kick. I was shot flying and crushed on the ground, letting a moan of pain. I stood up right on time to duck under his Fire Punch, and I used Force Palm, sending him some meters back. All of a sudden, Alex appeared in front of his head, and shot a really powerful Shadow Ball in point black range. The Machoke yelled in pain and backed away, but Alex fired his Swift, hitting him on the neck, forcing him to fall on the ground. I knew he still wasn't down, so I charged and fired my Focus Punch, right on his chest. He yelled one more time and he fell unconscious.

"That will keep him down for a while." I said as I turned to face Alex. He nodded.

"I got to get out of here till that happens. I can't risk to stay here." He said as he turned to leave. Needless to say all the bandits cleared the way for us. We had defeated their leader after all.

"Wait!" I said as he turned his head to look at me. "I need to go to Halka as well. I got some business to attend to. Your power and courage earned my respect. Your spirit my friendship. I'd be honored to accompany you there." I said.

"I could use every ally I can get for the task in hand. I must warn you though, I am a wanted person." He said and I blinked, before smiling.

"That's fine by me. Shall we go?" I asked as I walked past him.

"You are not going anywhere!" A voice said behind us. We turned to see the Machoke get on his feet. "Everyone, kill them!" He yelled and I took a defensive stance. But then, we heard a weird sound, like something fast passing by us, and after that, a yell of pain from behind us.

"What the..." I wasn't able to finish my phrase, and I gasped as I saw the Machoke's hand on the ground, ripped from his flesh.

"XI you bastard, why did you do that?!" The Machoke yelled.

"You are no longer of any use to me. I joined your little charade because I thought it would help my cause. But unfortunately for you, it didn't." Another voice said behind the Machoke. I moved a bit and saw a Pokemon I recognized as a Weavile.

"What is that supposed to mean?!" The Machoke said in anger. "Don't bother to answer, I am going to kill you anyway!" He yelled and charged at the Weavile called XI.

"You... kill me? That's one of the best jokes I've ever heard." XI said and disappeared, only to reappear in less than a second behind the giant. "Farewell x-leader." He said and chopped his head off.

"What in the name of Arceus?!" Alex coursed in shock. The Weavile turned his attention on us and I took a defensive stance.

"You don't have to worry. You aren't evil, so I won't hurt you. Now leave, before they decide they want to grand their boss's last wish." He said.

"He's right Lore, let's hurry out of here!" Alex said as he motioned me to run, which I did.

End of Chapter

So guys, what you think? I think I am starting to improve in my battle writing. Oh, another OC appeared! So cheers everyone! I'd appreciate your Review :)


	16. Backfired

**CHAPTER 16: BACKFIRE!  
**

Sara's pov

It has been an hour since the battle ended and Star passed out. The Cherubi had led us into a small stone-maid house, and I had placed Star on one of the beds. The other two were luckily still unconscious, as I was sure to check from the hanging wooden window, the two Pokemon. I was deep in thought. So those guys boss was the one behind the attack. I still didn't know what to do. I had thought that it would be safer to go get some help, but considering the fact that those two attacked, it would be a risk to leave the Cherubi alone. Taking her with us, would sure slow us down enough for the brutes to reach us. So the only option I could find, was to help the Cherubi by sneaking into the camp and rescuing the villagers. But that was just too risky. But then, with the corner of my eye, I caught a slight movement from the unconscious Vulpix. I focused my attention on her and soon she opened her eyes.

"What...?" She asked as she got up, looking at her surroundings.

"You passed out right after we defeated them. How are you feeling?" I asked her as I walked towards her.

"A bit dizzy, but fine. Where are we?" She asked as she looked around.

"The Cherubi brought us here when you passed out so we could lie you down." I said.

"Oh... Then what are our plans." She asked me and I scratched the back of my head.

"I am still working on that one... The only option I found, was to sneak inside their headquarters and rescue the villagers, but that's really dangerous..." I said.

"I don't thinks that's a good idea..." Star said. "Just think that there will be many strong Pokemon there. If we get caught, we are done for."

"So, we go and get help? What are we gonna do with her then?" I asked pointing at the Cherubi. She tilted her head looking at us.

"Good question..." Star said and placed a paw on her chin. "Do you mind staying on that hidden room under the table for a bit more time?" She asked. I blinked.

"We can't just leave her here, it's too dangerous!" I said.

"Yeah, I know, but we have no other choice... If we take her with us, they'll catch up with us sooner or later." She said, confirming my thoughts. "But we can't just sneak into their camp either. I stick to my plan. Leave her hidden in the room and go get help." She said.

"What are we gonna do damn it?" I asked in frustration. "We can buy some time if we tie the other two up, but they will sure send someone to investigate if they aren't back..." I said.

"Hey, wait a minute, haven't you already done that?" Star asked me with wide eyes.

"No, I was more concerned about you. They are still unconscious, so let's hurry." I said and rushed towards the open door. Star following close behind. But I wasn't prepared for what I saw.

"What the heck?" Star asked as she looked at the group of Pokemon in front of us. They turned around and looked at us.

"Who are you? Give your identities immediately!" A humanoid like Pokemon with red gloves told us.

"We are just some travelers passing by. We were attacked by two Pokemon, some sort of bandits and we decided to stay here and rest for a while." Star said as she looked at the Hitmonchan. "I am Star, and this is Sara."

"You shouldn't be here. I am Tyson of the 'Order of the Dragon'. My group and I were sent here by Elite Dragoon Cane to investigate the situation and eliminate those bandits." Tyson said. I froze in the mentioning of the name. But then, I thought about it. He hadn't recognized me, so I would be safe.

"That's a relief." I said and let out the sign. "Now you don't have to be afraid." I smiled at the little Cherubi and she smiled back.

"What is this?" Tyson asked as he looked at her. "Are you one of the villagers here?" He asked her.

"Ye...yes." She said trembling. "My daddy and mommy were taker by those big Pokemon and I was left alone."

"And the two of you protected this little girl?" He asked us.

"We couldn't leave her all alone. You just gotten us out of a great dilemma. Go and get help, but leaving her alone, or sneak into the bandits camp and save the villagers." Star said.

"You would risk your lives for a stranger?" He asked as he raised an eyebrow. "It's good to see Pokemon like you in dark times like these." He said and I tilted my head.

"Dark times? What are you talking about? You are a member of the 'Order of the Dragon', aren't you?" I asked. Tyson smirked.

"Believe me, I do have many reasons to say this." He signed. "His Majesty has changed in the last years. He is a lot... darker." He said as he found the right word to describe it. "He is only the same when Commander Cane is around him, except if he is giving orders."

"You mean you are disappointed in him?" Star asked.

"Let's just say he isn't what he used to be." Tyson said. "Anyway, we got some bandits to take care of, you better leave."

"Isn't there anything we can do?" Star asked them.

"I don't think so. You are only going to be on our way." He answered.

"Hey, I have an idea!" I said as it suddenly hit me. "We are going to stay here with the girl, while you take care of the bandits, just to be safe." I said. Tyson rubbed his chin, but then nodded.

"That's actually a good idea. We'll come back when this is taken care of." He said and turned towards his group. "Get ready guys, we are going to bring down those bandits!" He yelled and the rest cheered.

000

Star's PoV

The Cherubi, Sara and I stood inside the semi destroyed house, waiting for Tyson to return from the assault. The Cherubi had fallen asleep, with a small smile on her face. I couldn't sleep thought, since I had an uneasy feeling. Something was going to go wrong, I knew it. I then noticed Sara looking at me a bit strange, but when she understood that I was glaring, she quickly smiled and turned around. I knew something was up with her. She hadn't said a word since we got here, like she was lost in thought or something.

"Is there something wrong Sara?" I asked the Eevee and she looked at me smiling.

"Nah, everything's fine." She said and widened her smile even more, causing me to narrow my eyes.

"Why do I get the feeling that you're hiding something from me?" I asked, pushing on the subject. Sara signed.

"Well, it may not be anything so..." She started. "You know, back when we were fighting those two bandits, it was our first battle as a team..." She said.

"Yeah, I know that, what's your point?" I asked as I tilted my head.

"Well..." She bit her lips. "I noticed your character changed dramatically... Do you always become like that when you fight?" She asked and I blinked.

"Do I really change that much?" I asked worriedly. Then it hit me. "Oh! No I'm not like that at all when I fight!" I said. Now it was Sara's turn to blink.

"Ok... So what's the difference with that battle?" Sara asked me. 'Damn, do I have to say it?'

"Well... It's a bit complicated..." I said.

"We have quite some time, I'm sure you can tell me." Sara pushed on and I singed.

"Ok... The difference is that on this battle... there was a Glameow." I said. Sara tilted her head in confusion, so I continued. "It goes a little back, about a year ago..."

_Flashback_

_"So Sara, you are finally awake!" The Stantler that was my father said. I smiled at him and sat on the table._

_"Good morning papa." I said._

_"So, what do you want to do for today?" He asked me and I let my tail wag in happiness. "Want to go and have some fun in town?" I thought about it and I nodded smiling._

_"That would be great!" I said as I took a bite of the apple pie that my mother had made._

_We finished our breakfast and I headed to my room to get ready. After a couple of minutes, I joined my father who was waiting by the door. I smiled at him one more time and he smiled back before we headed outside. It was a warm day, which made it perfect to lay on the grass and enjoy the sun. As usual, we sat on the grass in the middle of the town's square. The square was busy, since it was Sunday and everyone had decided to come here with their children. The day was quite, everyone just sat peacefully, not wanting to ruin the day. But then, it happened... Weird sounds and melodies were heard, as a lot of Pokemon appeared on the edge of the town. After a couple of minutes, a cart carried by some muscular giants appeared and headed towards the square. Soon, a huge crowd surrounded it as curious Pokemon tried to look at the noble behind the cloth. Since I was in the middle of the square, I was in the front line. Then, the cloth was pushed out of the way, as a Glameow exited the cart. Whispers could be heard as the Glameow gracefully made the circle of the cart, looking at the Pokemon in the front. Eventually, his glare met me and he stopped, making me tilt my head._

_"That one. The Vulpix, take her." He said. Both my father's and my eyes widened in surprise. My father got in front of me and looked at the Pokemon in anger._

_"What do you mean when you say 'Take her'?" He asked._

_"How dare you even talk to master Charles?" One of the muscular Pokemon demanded as he approached my father._

_"It's ok." The Glameow said. "Well, you peasant, I am taking this Vulpix to be one of my wives. Consider yourself lucky that she is chosen." He said._

_"But I don't want to marry you!" I yelled. Sure, he was handsome, but I didn't like his attitude. His eyes widened in shock and anger._

_"You dare defy me? It's not a proposition, you insolent fool! It's a demand. You're going to come with me, like it or not!" He said. As soon as he said that, the muscular Pokemon moved forward and grabbed me. Gasps were heard from the crowd as all of the town folks couldn't believe their eyes._

_"NO!" I yelled in agony as the Pokemon hit my dad and made him fall to the ground and then he grabbed me. "I will never marry this insensitive bastard!"_

_"WHAT DID YOU CALL ME?" The Glameow asked in pure anger. "You are going to regret ever saying that! Leave her, I don't want any brat like her as my wife!" He yelled, the anger still visible in his voice. "Get me away from this stupid town right away! We are going back to the manor. I have some business to discuss with my father!" He said as he turned around and entered the cart. He turned his head to look at me. "This isn't the last time we'll meet..."_

_End of Flashback_

Sara's PoV

I couldn't believe what Sara told me... An arrogant brat like him really existed? I just looked in space. No wonder she hated Glameow. But then, something really hit me, as I turned to Star and tilted my head.

"He said 'This isn't the last time we'll meet.', right?" I asked and Star nodded. "So, did he do something?" I asked.

"Yes, he did..." Sara said as her ears dropped and her voice darkened. "But please, I am not in the mood to share that memory with anyone." She said and I nodded.

"So, what do you think?" I asked her and she look at me in confusion. "Do you think Tyson and his group did it?"

"Oh, well, it's too soon to say..." She said. "I guess it will take some time. Even if they are really strong, they are still outnumbered."

"Well, I hope they return soon, we have a certain Eevee to catch up with." I said. As if on cue, footsteps were heard from outside. I looked at Star and she nodded. We went outside and came across Tyson, who was followed by a huge Pokemon. It had dark brown skin, with silver plates covering his knees and arms, as well as his head. From above his eyes, there was a couple of steel horns. I recognized him as an Aggron.

"Mission complete." The Hitmonchan said. "Thank you for your cooperation and help." He said and saluted us.

"We need to thank you for the help." I said and smiled as I turned to Star. "It's time to go."

"I am sorry, but I don't think I can let you go... Sara the Eevee." Tyson said calmly.

End of Chapter.

Starwings1: I have altered her background a little, I hope you don't mind. But still, I find Star a really interesting character and I already know what she is meant to do :)

Sorry guys it took so long, but I had many exams. I haven't finished yet, but I managed to steal some time and write it. You see, this is going to be the final chapter before holidays, at least I believe it is... You see, I am going to leave for holidays soon and even thought I will have my laptop with me, I am not going to have internet to upload them. Hope to see you soon, and if I don't, have a nice Summer!


	17. Memories of a Hero Part 1

Welcome, to the first special chapter. This is the past of one of the coolest characters in my story. Yes, that's Jason! I am going to place each part randomly every some chapters. While you don't expect it, you'll get one of these, Enjoy!

**CHAPTER 17: MEMORIES OF A HERO PART ONE  
**

I looked back at the old building that served as my home since the day I was born. I had never left this place for this one year. But today, I finally left the place and the Pokemon that I hated so much. They only cared about themselves and only referred to us in order to yell for something we did or just to unleash their rage. They had only four bedrooms for the one hundred orphans the orphanage was 'taking care of'. Let's just say that life in this freaking place sucked.

They told us that the only way to leave was to be adopted by someone. Every single kid in there hoped for that happen. But since war ravaged the lands, no one would come and adopt a kid. Slowly, we all lost the little hope we had. In order to survive, we had to stick together, form some sort of brotherhood. We worked hard to gain even a little of the staff's favor so we could have a bit more food.

I don't know what I should be feeling though. Relief and joy were the first things I felt when they told me I would be leaving. But when I saw all those kids that were gathered, I knew that I wasn't adopted. Something else had happened for sure. The owner of the orphanage was talking to a tall, yellow Pokemon with black stripes and a couple of black lightning bolts. The Pokemon counted us and gave something I couldn't see to the owner. And now I am leaving this place with fear and darkness over my heart. Afraid of my own future.

Hours passed and we kept on walking. I could barely keep my eyes open and my legs trembled, ready to drop. But that didn't stop me. I knew that whatever happened, I had to keep going. The sun was almost down when we finally reached our destination. I looked in awe as I saw the huge building in front of me. Hope sparkled inside my chest as I thought that in this big place, we could for sure have our own room, maybe even bed! I followed the yellow Pokemon and entered the building. I was surprised when the huge machines came into view and the loud noise entered my ears.

"Ok you little brats, this is the place where you'll be leaving for the rest of your lives." The Pokemon said. "I am Electro the Electabuzz and this is my factory. You will respect me and you'll be working on these machines if you hope to claim some food. Since you aren't able to even keep your eyes open, you are free from work for the day. Take them to their rooms." He told one of the Pokemon that watched over the work.

"He looks bad, but he may be good. I want to see the rooms..." A Ratata said as we walked down a big staircase.

"It's too soon to say. I hope you are right though..." I said and the others nodded in agreement. We reached the end of the staircase and we went forward till we came to a stop.

"All right punks. These are your rooms. Each room is going to be shared between two of you. Now go and let me go back to work!" He yelled and we all choose a room to go.

When I entered the room, I couldn't believe my own eyes. Well, it wasn't that big, but for someone that has spent all his life sleeping in a room with 24 more Pokemon, it was huge. The walls were made out of thick stone blocks, perfectly arranged together. On the right corner of the room, there was a bunk bed and in front of it, two small chests for our things. On the other corner, there was a small table with a couple of chairs. Straight in front of the door, there was a small window, able to light the whole room.

"That's so cool!" The Charmander that had decided to be my roommate said in awe. I looked at him and nodded.

"I can't agree more. By the way, my name's Jason." I said and extended my paw.

"I am Leon, nice to meet you." The Charmander smiled and extended his hand, shaking my paw. After that, he yawned. "Ups. Looks like I'm a bit tired. So, see you in the morning." He walked towards the bunk, but then stopped. "Which one do you want, top or bottom?" He asked.

"Don't really care. Go ahead and choose." I said and he nodded. After that, he laid on the bed on the top and fell asleep immediately. I felt my eyes heavy, so I jumped on the bed on the bottom and I closed my eyes...

Time passed by and I was still living in that factory. I found out that Electro bought us from the orphanage because he needed some workers. I didn't complain though. We had to work and all, but the schedule wasn't tight. The food wasn't all that bad and my share was quite much. The other Pokemon weren't friendly, but I had Leon with me. In all my life, I had learned one thing. Surviving in this world is never easy. But to tell the truth, I could easily survive in here. I had a shelter, food and friendship, which was everything I needed...

000

"Hey, wake up!" I heard someone call to me. I slowly opened my eyes and looked at Leon straight in the eyes.

"Hey, what's wrong?" I asked him. He looked up and shook his head.

"Earth to Jason, we got work to do!" He said and my eyes widened. I quickly got up and headed for the door, followed by Leon. We rushed up the stairs and reached the line just in time to see Buzz, Electro's son appear from his office.

"All right you brats, everyone's here?" He asked and he counted us all one by one. "Good. Today we have to prepare an order for a very important client. I want you all to work hard and to not mess things up." We all nodded and headed for our posts. We have been working on a platform, taking the scraps of metals and throw them down a big circular slide that ended in a super heated area, where it melted.

"Who do you think that client may be?" I asked Leon as I placed some scraps inside the bucket.

"Don't know, don't care." He said. "Whoever he or she is, we just have to do our job."

"Yeah, you're right. Let's go" I said.

Time passed painfully slow, like it always did. I had gotten used to my part, so my movements were mechanical. That's the reason my mind was off. To the important client to be exact. I looked at Leon, who was focused on his work. How could he do it? I mean, it's quite difficult to concentrate on something when you know that someone of great importance is paying a visit. Then, I heard footsteps and Pokemon talking. I turned my head towards that direction and so did Leon. There stood a Dragonite. I couldn't believe my eyes. I knew that Dratini and their evolutions were quite rare.

"So, what do you think about our facilities?" Electro asked the Dragonite.

"I'm really impressed! Everyone here look so full of energy and the equipment is in a great shape." He said and he turned around. "What do you think Zaphire?" He asked and soon after, a Dratini came in view, most likely his son.

"I suppose everything's good father." The Dratini said, confirming my guess.

"Ok then, shall we proceed with the payment?" Electro asked eagerly as he looked at the Dragonite.

"Of course. Zaphire, stay here while I take care of the rest." The Dragonite said and the Dratini nodded.

"Hey, stop fooling around and get back to work!" I jumped in surprise as one of workers yelled at Leon and me.

I looked at Leon and raised my shoulders. We got back to what we were doing before we got interrupted. Zephire was pacing back and forth, waiting for his father to return. After some time passed, he signed and walked towards us. I saw him and poked Leon, who turned in question, and he eventually looked at Zaphire. The Dratini reached us and smiled.

"Hello, my name is Zaphire." He said. I smiled back at him.

"Hello to you too. I am Jason." I said. After realizing that Leon wasn't going to introduce himself, I continued. "And this is Leon."

"Nice to meet you. Mind if I ask you a question?" He asked and I nodded. "What does it feel like?" He said. I raised an eyebrow and he quickly added. "To be working for a living."

"It can be rough, but I don't really mind. Electro isn't that bad and he doesn't worn us out."

"Working for a living sucks! And I am pretty sure you have never worked in your perfect life!" Leon suddenly said and I blinked at him. He just turned his head.

"Leon! Come on, you are being mean!" I told him in anger. He just ignored me. "Sorry Zaphire, it's just he is jealous of you." I said.

"He shouldn't be." Zephire said darkly. I looked at him in confusion. "It's just so boring... I mean, there are rules for everything. I am not allowed to do many things. I can't even have fun..." He said.

"Oh, we are so sad! I am going to cry!" Leon said and I looked at him in disbelief. "I have a better idea. Go cry in that corner over there!" Zaphire's eyes became wet in tears and he turned around to leave. Before I could anything, Leon Tackled him on the back and threw him down unconscious. I panicked. He had just attacked the son of the important client. This would surely cancel the deal.

"What the heck are you doing?" I demanded as I regained my senses.

"I can't stand those assholes! They are the luckiest persons in the world and they don't appreciate it. I am going to end this now!" He said and grabbed Zaphire from his tail. I watched in horror as he thew him down the slide.

"Are you out of your freaking mind?" I yelled as I jumped down the slide. I didn't know what I was doing, I just didn't want Zaphire to die. I slid fast and I gained ground. I reached him and grabbed his tail. I knew the slide was long, so I had quite some time to figure a way to get out. "Help someone!" I yelled trying to get some attention and hopefully someone would help us out. I freaked out as I felt the temperature getting higher. Soon after, the slide became a straight fall, which meant we were almost on the edge.

"I am coming Zephire!" I heard a voice and looked up. The Dragonite was flying with incredible speed towards us. I singed in relief as he grabbed the two of us and safely landed on the ground.

"Thanks." I said as I tried hard to keep my heart from beating so fast.

"You bastard, how dare you!" I heard Electro say and I turn around, waiting to see him yell at Leon. But to my surprise, I saw him walk towards me, followed by Leon.

"What?" I asked with my mouth wide open.

"How dare you attack this boy and try to kill him?" He asked in frustration.

"Zephire is ok, just passed out. I guess after that insane Eevee attacked him and they fall in the slide, he hit his head." The Dragonite said. "I expect you to punish that devilish child."

"Of course we will. Thanks Arceus Leon managed to inform us before it was too late." Electro said. After I heard that, I snapped.

"What the hell are you talking about?" I yelled. Everyone looked at me with threatening glares, but I ignored them. "Leon was the one that attacked him! Leon threw him down the slide! I went after him in order to save him!"

"You dare lie in front of me like that?" The Dragonite said with trembling voice.

"I am not lying! Leon is the bad guy here." I said and looked at my 'fried' in disbelief for a second time that day.

"Really? Then tell me: Why did he came and told us everything?" The Dragonite asked and before I could answer, he continued. "You think I'd believe you jumped to your death to save someone you hardly knew?"

"First of all, Leon came to you and told you his side of the story to make you believe him. And second, yes, I do, because that's what happened." I said.

"You are lucky I am not canceling the deal right now!" He said looking at Electro. "I am taking Zephire and I am going." He said and started walking. "Oh, I have some friends that want to adopt a kid. I am going to tell them about you Leon. I owe you after all."

"Thank you." He said and bowed. The Dragonite nodded and exited the factory.

"You..." Electro said as he pointed towards me. "You are going to pay for trying to kill that Dratini. You almost ruined my business!"

I don't want to talk about what happened after that. Everyone believed Leon, no matter what I said. The rest of the day was like hell to me. When I returned to my room, it was already midnight, and I was carried there. I was in pain, both physically and mentally. I couldn't believe Leon, the only one that had been my friend, betrayed me like that.

"How was your day?" A sarcastic voice asked from above and soon after, Leon's head appeared. I growled at him and he laughed. "Not that good, ha?" He asked.

"I can't believe it you bastard! How dare you do this?" I asked in anger and frustration.

"Don't tell me you believed I cared for you. You were my friend, that's true, but I saw a window out of this miserable life. And as you see, it worked. Soon, those friends of his will come and take me away from this cursed place." He said.

"But it was you who attacked him, not me!" I yelled in anger. I could feel tears running down my chicks.

"So? Haven't you learned yet that surviving is hard? You must only care for yourself to survive. Something I did and you didn't. I am now going to live in luxury, while you get punished for something you didn't do. Do you see already? Only care for yourself." He said and got back to his bed, out of my view.

000

The next day, Leon was adopted by that Dragonite's friends. I had stayed in bed that day, since I had broken many of my bones and I was unable to get up. The whole day, Leon's words entered my head. 'You must only care for yourself to survive.' If someone told me that a couple of days ago, I'd tell him he is stupid. But today, it's different. So I made a promise to myself. I'd never let anyone make me cry.

A couple of weeks later, I recovered and I returned to work. Elcetro, Buzz and the others shot me death glares. I ignored them and everyone else and did what I was assigned to do. That way, I had my share on the food and the time to rest. Weeks passed by, and I was still without a roommate. I liked it better that way. No asshole that would try to trick me, playing friend. But my luck, was soon to change...

000

"This is your room." I heard a voice coming from outside. My heart started beating faster and faster. The door opened and Buzz appeared. "Hello you bastard. I brought you company." He said. An Eevee appeared on the door.

"Hello! My name's Fred, what's yours?" He asked cheerfully. I glared at him, but I didn't speak. He blinked at me, but he came closer and extended his paw. "Let's do this right. I am Fred, nice to meet you." He said again.

"I am Jason and it's not nice to meet you." I said coldly and headed for my bed on the bottom. The Eevee, to my surprise, smiled.

"Hey Jason. So, how is life here?" He asked, trying to sound friendly. But I knew better than that. Friendship was a lie.

"Just drop the act and shut up." I said. He blinked again, but he kept on smiling.

"I am not acting. I just want to know how things are here." He said. I started to lose my cool.

"Look pal, cut the crap and leave me alone!" I yelled, causing him to get back, trip and fall down. "Got it?" I asked and he nodded. I got to my bed and fall asleep.

I woke up the next morning. I got up, did my morning exercises and headed for the door. Before I exit, I looked back at the bed where Fred slept. He was sleeping so peacefully and it was clear he wouldn't wake up anytime soon. There I stood, by the door, ready to let him be late and get punished, or wake him up. Care only for yourself, right. I didn't care what would happen on the bastard. I walked outside and slammed the door with force behind me. Friendship is a lie.

I walked the corridor silently. I could hear movement from the rooms I passed by, but I didn't even bother to look. I reached the stairs and climbed them, getting in front of Buzz's office. Judging by the sun, and the fact that I was the only one there, I was early. I just stood there, waiting for the rest to gather. Slowly, the place started to get crowded, but there was nothing. Silence, until...

"Hey Jason!" I turned around and narrowed my eyes as I saw Fred walking towards me. So he did wake up after all.

"All right you brats, everyone here?" The familiar voice of Buzz was heard and I turned to face him. "All right! Today we have a new guy. And guess what! He is Jason's roommate." He said and I growled. Fred looked at me confused.

"What's wrong?" He asked. I ignored him.

"Since you are roommates, I thought it's best to work on the same post. Just remember Jason, he isn't a Dratini." He said and I felt my blood boil. Damn Leon!

"What's that supposed to mean?" He asked me and I ignored him again.

"Let's go." I said and walked towards the stair up the platform. Fred followed me up.

"Ok, what do I do here?" Fred asked me happily. Where did he get all that energy from?

"We just move the scrap metal from here down that slide." I said and begun.

"That's easy." He said and started moving the scraps. "So, what was that about the Dratini?" He asked me.

"Nothing." I said bluntly. I wasn't in the mood to talk about it and I wouldn't.

"So, are we going to carry on silently?" He asked me, but he didn't get a response. "Come on, it's going to be pretty boring!" He complained.

"It's work. Boring or not, it's the one that gives you food. So shut up and do it correctly." I said.

"Sometimes you are no fun at all!" He complained again. I raised an eyebrow, but he didn't see it. Of course I wasn't fun at all. Not sometimes, but all the time. "By the way, thanks for waking me up." He said and I looked at him in confusion. "You slammed the door loudly to wake me up." He said.

"Trust me, I didn't do it to wake you up." I told him and it was true. I just slammed it in frustration.

"Why are you so closed to me?" He asked me. "I just want to be your friend!" He said. I slammed the metal forcefully on the slide and turned to face him.

"Because friendship is an illusion! Listen up. If you want to survive in this world, you gotta care only for yourself. The others don't exist so you can care about them. Only to use them!" I said as I narrowed him and then got back to throwing the scrap. "I learned that the hard way. So don't try to convince me otherwise.

"You are wrong!" He said in anger and I looked at him shocked. "Friendship isn't an illusion and if you care about others, they'll care about you!" He yelled.

"You are so naive. I have cared about someone and you know what he did?" I asked in anger. Fred swallowed and shook his head. "He almost killed someone and blamed me. He left this place and I got the beating of my life. That's what friends are for!" I said. "And I made a promise to myself that day. I would never let anyone make me cry, like Leon did."

Fred just stared at me. I ignored him, something I had been doing quite often, and went back to work. As I placed the scrap on the slide, something bad happened. I don't know how, but one of the pillars holding the platform bent, causing it to move violently and stand in midair.

"What on Earth?" Fred asked as he grabbed on one of the rails. I wasn't that lucky though, as I fall out of the platform and right to my death, until I felt a paw grabbing mine. I looked up to see Fred. He had left his left hand and he had grabbed me.

"What are you doing, you'll fall as well!" I yelled at him.

"This is my proof to you! Friendship does exist. I care for you and I'll show you how far I can go!" He said.

"Idiot! You are proving to me exactly what I said. Caring for someone will bring you down!" I yelled at him.

"Make me a favor and cut the crap! I don't care what you say. You aren't a bad person. You just had a bad friend. That doesn't mean everyone's bad!" He yelled. I felt my body being lifted and I was able to grab one rail. Below us, Pokemon started gathering.

"You two, hold on, we are coming to get you." I heard one of the workers. Easy for him to say.

"That doesn't prove anything. You haven't proved me friendship exists!" I told Fred and he looked at me. Before he could respond, The pillar broke, causing the platform to fall down with high speed. Both of us fall down. Unfortunately for me, I was headed straight for the sharp metals. I knew this would be the end of me. I suddenly felt a pairs of paws grabbing me, and pulling me away.

"I hope this proves friendship exists!" Fred said as he pulled me away from the metal, right into the solid ground, and placing himself in my position. My eyes widened. He believed in friendship so much that he was willing to die to prove it? No... He was willing to die for me. Someone he barely know. Someone who had been mean to him. Someone he considered his friend. Then, it hit me. He never wanted to come close to me and betray me. He just wanted to be a true friend. Something like I was before Leon betrayed me.

"Fred!" I yelled as he fall straight into the metals,while I hit the ground. I felt my breath taken away, but there wasn't much force, so I was able to get up. Almost immediately, I was surrounded by Pokemon, but I pushed them aside as I made my way towards Fred.

"He fell in that thing, he is dead for sure." One of the Pokemon said. I shot him a glare and kept walking towards him. No Fred. Please, don't die. Don't die now that you earned my respect!

"Oh my God!" I heard someone say from inside the metal jungle. "He isn't dead, but he need help!" He was alive? I pushed myself to it's limit and run towards him. I entered and looked at Fred. He had been cut on the left side, blood flowing from the wound, but no metal had spiked him. He was still conscious and he looked at me. I could feel the tears running. He smiled at me.

"I thought you said no one would make you cry." He said.

"I take it back. I will let no one hurt my friends or me again!" I said.

"So you believe in friendship now?" He asked me and I nodded. "Glad to hear that." He said. He then left a yell of pain and passed out.

"He isn't going to make it. Just throw him out and let him die." Buzz said. I looked at him in anger.

"No! He is going to make it! Try, you'll see!" I yelled at him.

"Why should I bother?" He asked me and I growled.

"If you do, I swear that I am going to work overtime for a whole month! I am going to get you much more job done per day!" I told him.

"Well, that's worth the try. Get him to my office and bring the doctor quickly." He said. I signed in relief, but then, I felt my strength leave my body and I collapsed...

000

I woke up in my room. There was a slight difference though. Instead of being in the bottom bed, I was on the top. I tried to move, but I couldn't and I yelped in pain.

"Oh, so you awoke." I heard a voice and I turned my head to face a Chansey. "You better take it easy for the time being. Tomorrow you'll be able to go back to work." She said.

"What about the other Eevee? My roommate." I asked in fear.

"He is right below you. I managed to save him just in the nick of time. He has to skip work for at least a week thought." She said and smiled. I was filed with joy. I hadn't lost my friend. My only friend...

End of Chapter

Yes ladies and gentleman, this is the biggest chapter I've ever written! I think I overdid it sometimes here, but I believe it's a good chapter. Oh and did I say 'of one of the coolest characters in my story.'? I meant 'two of the coolest' xD. Please read and Review.

I have posted a poll in my profile. I want to write another story so I can keep this story interested on my mind. Also, this IS the last update for the holidays. See ya in October!


	18. Entering the silence

**CHAPTER 18: ENTERING THE SILENCE**

Alex's PoV

We run with speed for almost an hour until we came to a stop to catch our breath. My legs hurt like hell from all the fighting I had some time ago and the strong blows I got. Don't forget that I am a normal type and got hit by many fighting type moves. I sat down, breathing heavily and looked at Lore, who was doing the same. My head was spinning and I was sure that any time now I would throw up. At least today I had earned myself an ally.

"You know, you are quite something." Lore told me and I looked at him curiously.

"What exactly do you mean by that?" I asked and he frowned.

"Well, I'd never expect someone like you to go against the 'Order of the Dragon'. You know, they are the commanders of Marcus after all." He said.

"Yes I do. That doesn't mean they are unbeatable though. Plus, they have placed a bounty on my head, so it's not like I have another option." He raised an eyebrow.

"You mean you really are a wanted person?" He asked and I nodded. "Wow, I thought you were kidding! That's why that stupid Machoke wanted to recruit you." He said.

"Well, I guess so." I said. Then I hesitated for a moment before continuing. "Why are you headed to Halka?"I asked. His face darkened by the time I finished and I could tell I hit a sensitive spot.

"I have to find an kill the one that destroyed my family. He is a member of the 'Order', so I have been training to surpass and beat him." He said.

"So, I am on a rescue mission, while you are on a revenge plan." I said. He looked at me angry and I quickly continued. "Of course I am with you on this one. If he destroyed your family, it's only fair to want revenge."

"Things are more complicated than that. I am not in the mood to explain now, but one day I will." He said and I didn't press on.

"Ok, let's keep going. We are still wide open." I said as I noticed that we were sitting still on a plain and pretty vulnerable. Lore nodded and he got up.

We started running again, heading southeast, away from the bandits. The plain was full of green, with flowers, trees and in the distance, we could see a small river flow. I couldn't see the bandits following us, but better play it safe than regret it later. I could see that Lore also shot glares behind his shoulders, and I bet he was thinking the exact same thing. About ten minutes later, we reached the river and I looked at Lore worriedly. The water flow was fast, full of pressure that could easily knock us of balance and get us killed and there was no bridge in sight.

"We have to pass." He said as if he was reading my mind and I nodded. "I'll go first." He carefully entered the water and started making his way through. I followed close behind.

"Damn, it's getting pretty deep." I said as the water had almost reached my neck.

"You are walking on four legs after all." He said and I noticed that it reached only a little above his waist.

We were half way there and I could feel the water on my mouth. I knew that if it got any deeper, I would probably end up swallowed. I gulped and kept going behind Lore. To my relief, I saw the Lore had started emerge from the water. Soon after, we had reached the other side.

"We made it, let's keep going." Lore said and I nodded. I looked behind my shoulder and gasped as I saw the bandits running towards the river.

"Oh shit!" I said and Lore followed my gaze.

"Damn, run!" He yelled and I started running. But to my surprise, all of them stopped in front of the river. None of them tried to pass, no matter how big and strong they were. They looked at us angry and turned around, returning to their camp.

"Ok... That takes care of them. " I said. I found it odd though. Why had they stopped pursuing us? Surely they could pass through the river easily. So why?

"Let's keep going." Lore said and I nodded. I knew there was something wrong, but I just couldn't place my finger on it.

000

Lore's PoV

Time passed by really quickly as we kept on walking southeast. The sun had almost set and soon, we would have to find a place to spend the night. When I left my place this morning, I hadn't planned on leaving for Halka immediately, so I was unprepared. I didn't even have a tent with me. Alex was a sort of prisoner, so his stuff had been taken as well. That meant we had to find a cave or something, just to be safe. There was a problem with that strategy though... We were in a forest, so there couldn't be any cave here. At least we would be protected from the rain that the dark clouds above us were ready to unleash.

"It's almost sunset. We need to find a place to spend the night. Any ideas?" I asked Alex, but when I got no response, I turned around and it was clear he was lost in thought. "Hey, Alex!" I said.

"What?" He asked as he snapped out of it. "Did you say something?" I signed.

"What do you think we should do?" I asked.

"About what?" He asked me. I tilted my head.

"Earth to Alex, we need to find a place to sleep." I said again and he understood this time.

"Oh, don't really know... We could sleep under a tree or something. That gives us shelter from the wind and rain. Also, if we search a bit, I'm sure we'll find one that can keep us out of sight." He said.

"That's what I thought." I said. "I suggest we keep going forward on our search. That way we'll be even closer to Halka." Alex nodded. A couple of minutes later though, we didn't have to worry about shelter, cause right in front of us stood a village.

"What are the chances of this happening?" He asked me sarcastically. I turned to look at him.

"I have no idea." I said and raised my shoulders. "Let's go."

We moved inside the small village. It was a really beautiful and peaceful village. Small houses were all over the place, busses and trees full of berries could be seen all around and some shops...were closed. Wait a minute. It was still too early for the shops to close. I looked around and tilted my head. This was indeed a beautiful place, but it lacked something... life. It was as if no one lived there. There was no trace of Pokemon at all. I looked at Alex and his expression confirmed that he was thinking the same.

"Something is wrong here." I told him.

"I agree. This place is starting to give me the creeps. Is it a ghost town of something?" He asked.

"I don't know. Let's find the inn and see if we can get some rest." I suggested and he nodded. The inn was on the southern part of the village and it looked like every other building... lifeless. We reached the door and knocked. We heard movement inside and someone with trembling voice spoke.

"Who...Who is it?" The voice asked. I signed in relief. It wasn't a ghost town after all.

"Hello, we are passing by and we would like to spend the night here." Alex said. The door opened and a hand pulled us inside.

"What the hell?" I asked annoyed at the Pokemon in front of me. He was a bit taller than me, ape-like orange body with a tail that ended on a flame. His eyes where brown, with a deep blue color around them.

"Are you nuts?" He asked us with wide eyes. "You come to Sepale, just to spend the night?" I blinked.

"What's so idiotic about that?" I asked confused. "If I guessed correct, Sepale is the village's name, right?"

"Wait a minute. You don't know what's happening here?" He asked us and we shook our heads.

"We are on our way to the capital and we were about to sleep in the forest when we saw this place. So here we are." Alex said.

"Damn..." He signed. "Trust me, it would have been a lot better if you had just slept outside." He said.

"And why is that?" I asked. He cast a glance outside the window.

"You see, this village isn't ours." He said. When he noticed the curious looks we had he continued. "You see... there are Pokemon out there that 'own' this village." He said.

"Could you please just say it?" Alex asked frustrated.

"Bandits! They have camped all around the forest. This is their territory and they are in charge here. I am surprised they didn't notice you." He said.

"That's it!" Alex suddenly said, making me jump in shock. "That's why the other bandits didn't cross the river! They can't enter other bandit's territory!" He said and I realized he was right. "Neither of them dare to cross that border. Maybe that's why they didn't notice us."

"That doesn't make sense. I mean, shouldn't they be patrolling the borders?" I asked. "I know that's what I would do."

"You got a point. Was it just pure luck?" He asked.

"Alex, let's just forget about it for now. I am really tired and I could use the sleep." I said and he nodded. "Are there any beds free? We have enough money for a night." I said.

"Of course there are free beds." The Pokemon said. "Follow me please." We followed him as he climbed the stairs and stopped by the door, giving us the key. "I suggest you leave morning. If by any chance they haven't noticed you, you could get away easier."

"Ok, thanks for the tip." Alex said as he took the key and unlocked the door. We entered and closed the door behind us. The room was small, with two beds across the door and a small desk with a chair. On the right, there was a small window.

"I don't know about you, but I am going to sleep now." I said and l lied on one of the beds.

"I don't know, there is something wrong here. I just don't know what." Alex said. I signed and looked at him.

"Alex. You're just tired. Come on, sleep and tomorrow you'll be fine." I said. Alex looked at me and nodded.

"Yeah, you are probably right." He said and lied on the other bed.

I drifted to sleep almost immediately. Even though I didn't admit it, there was a part of me that knew Alex was right. There was something wrong indeed, but I was too tired to think about it.

"Lore, get up now!" I heard a loud whisper on my ear and I got up, rubbing my ear.

"What was that for?" I asked whispering as well. "What time is it damn it?" I asked.

"It's early, but we got a huge problem!" He said. I noticed a tone of panic in his voice.

"What's wrong?" I asked.

"Remember when I told you something was wrong?" He asked and I nodded. "They let us enter. I bet they knew I had a bounty the moment they saw me and decided to let me in their territory, so they can play by their rules."

"Oh shit!" I said as I got up. "We need to get out of here now!"

000

Tyson's PoV

I passed through the gates of the Order's headquarters. I left my team behind to lead the prisoners here. I knew I had to go and report the results of my mission, but that could wait. That was the reason I left my team behind and went ahead. I recalled that Blaze was on that mission so I searched for him. After a while, I found him with Claire taking a lunch break. I headed towards him and greeted.

"Hello Blaze. You too Claire." I said and they both looked at me.

"Hey Tyson, long time no seen. How are you?" He asked me cheerfully.

"I'm fine, thanks. I have some questions I believe you can answer me. Do you mind?" I asked.

"Of course, take a sit." He told me and I sat next to him. "So, what do you want to know?"

"Weren't you the one that was sent to Brill?" I asked. HIs face suddenly darkened.

"Yeah. How come you brought that up?" He asked.

"You see, I came across something interested while I was in Vall. It seems that a Pokemon you might know was there. An Eevee by the name of Sara." I said. Blaze frowned at that.

"Yeah, she is one of the two kinds that avoided captivity. Why do you ask?" He asked me.

"According to the wanted poster, they have been plotting against His Majesty. But I think something else is the reason He ordered an attack." I said and he nodded.

"I know. You see, I had failed. I had the recruits with me, so they managed to defeat us and capture me. They were more than shocked to hear that I was from the 'Order'." He told me.

"I knew it. Something is really wrong here. Thanks again Blaze. I have some things to do so I'll see you later. Bye Claire." She just nodded.

000

Fred's PoV

"Are you sure they allow us to do something like that?" Jason asked as we helped the girls move some furniture inside the building.

"Of course, we asked the guards and they gave us permission. Now, let's just place that here." Nali said and Jason and I placed the huge table where she instructed.

"You know, I am still annoyed that you haven't told us what you are doing. I just agreed to help you in order to get some info." I said.

"Don't worry Freddy, you'll see when it is over." Ann told me. I signed.

"Just a few more and everything will be in place." Nali said. I exchanged a look with Jason and we signed.

"Hello?" A voice asked from the door. All four of us turned around and we saw a Hitmonchan... without a Zin! He noticed us and he entered. "I am looking for Fred and Ann."

"You are not a prisoner." I said and he nodded. "I haven't seen you around, so you mustn't be a guard either." He nodded again.

"I am Tyson. A member of the 'Order of the Dragon'." He said and I felt my face harden.

"And what do you want here?" Ann asked coldly causing Tyson to sign.

"I had a mission on Vall less than a week ago and I met a certain person." He said. My curiosity got the best out of my and I tilted my head.

"And who might that be?" I asked.

"Sara the Eevee. I believe you know her." My eye widened in surprise.

"What?" Ann asked with a similar expression all over her face.

"What have you done to her? Answer me!" I yelled before attacking him.

End of chapter.

Yeah, I know it took Blaze and the others 30-40 days to reach Halka, but they had their hands full with the prisoners and they were carrying a lot of equipment. Tyson had left everyone behind and used some other methods that will be revealed later on.

Also, Blaze and Tyson know each other? Well, there's another question that will be answered later on! I believe this chapter was good. Let's start the new 'Season' with some nice reviews, what do you say? ;)

I have started a new story about "Digimon" Those of you that are interested check it out.


	19. A royal plan

**CHAPTER 19: A ROYAL PLAN**

Tyson's PoV

As I expected, the Leafeon, probably Fred, attacked me. I raised my fist in order to defend from the attack, but that was unnecessary since the Zin was activated, forcing him on the ground. The Vaporeon hurried to his side, but her gaze was locked on me. An awkward silence followed till the Flareon spoke.

"So, you say you met Sara on Vall, right?" He asked calmly.

"Yes. I was on a mission there to check on some bandits. She was there along with a Vulpix and they were protecting a little Cherubi." I said.

"So Alex wasn't there with her?" The Glaceon asked.

"No. I got to say I was surprised. I never expected a girl her age to risk being captured for a total stranger. I told her I was a member of the 'Order', but she didn't try to leave."

"Damn it Sara..." Fred said as he slowly got up. "And damn those Zin!" He cursed. "And damn you! What have you done to her?" He asked in anger.

"Relax, your daughter is unharmed. I allowed her to escape." I said calmly. All four of them blinked at me.

"Why would you do that?" Ann asked me in confusion. "She has a bounty on her head and you are supposed to 'collect' heads."

"That is wrong actually. I am a member of the 'Order' for many years now. His Majesty has changed, everyone can feel it. I am following his orders, but I am not going to do something if I find it wrong. And I know the accusations for plotting are a bit fishy." I said.

"If you haven't harmed her, then why are you here?" Fred asked.

"Because I promised her I'd give you this message. She left Brill with Alex and trained for the last month with an Absol, till the wanted posters appeared. She and Alex got separated and now she is on her way here with a Vulpix named Star."

Star's PoV

"We're almost there, come on Sara!" I yelled cheerfully as I hurried out of the forest. We had left Vall and reached the forest on the summit. After hours of walking, we had finally reached our next destination. Castal

"Slow down, I can't keep up!" Sara complained as she followed me. I smiled at her and slowed my pace. "Thanks."

"This is gonna be great! We are here right on time. Tomorrow starts the Evolution Festival!" I said and let a cheerful laugh.

"The Evolution Festival?" A confused Sara asked me and I turned to look at her in surprise.

"You kidding me? You've never heard of the Evolution Festival?" I asked and she shook her head.

"We don't have any kind of festival in Brill. Sure, we have some local celebrations, but no festivals. We are... were sort of cut out of the rest of the world." She said.

"Ok, the Evolution Festival is the biggest festival in all Ivara! It is held in all major cities and some minor ones. You can find everything regarding Evolution this time of the year. Stones, Fangs, even fragments of the stones and magnetic fields that certain Pokemon need to evolve." I explained.

"Wow! That's so cool!" Sara said in awe. "So, is Castal holding the festival?" She asked me and I gave her a big smile nodding.

"I've celebrated the festival here once before." I said. "Let's go!"

We started running towards the gate. Castal is one of the biggest cities in Ivara. Well, it's not one of the major ones, but it is really big, surrounded by a stone wall, about five meters high. It is built in a meadow, surrounded by the forest on the north and west. On the southeast, less than half a day road, lies Kelm. From the west to the east, a road splits Castal in two and in the middle, there is a huge square, where the festival is going to be held.

"Hey, Star, where is Valoria?" Sara asked me when we reached the gate and entered the busy town. I blinked.

"Let me think." I said thinking about it. "It's on the south of here, about two to three days road. Why do you ask?"

"Well, my father used to tell me it's a great city and it played an important role in his life. I suppose I want to go, but that will slow us down." Sara said and her ears dropped.

"Yeah, if we go, we'll probably lose a couple of days." I said. I started walking, but stopped and my eyes opened wide in realization. "Wait a minute, how can I be so stupid? Valoria is also a place someone from western Ivara will have to pass in order to reach Halka!" I said.

"Great! That really is good. We'll be able to meet Alex there. But..." I looked at her puzzled. "I don't want to lose the festival. It sounds so cool." She said. I nodded.

"Hey, I just thought of something. Since Alex and you are wanted persons, it would be wise to evolve. That way, they won't recognize you that easy!" I whispered her and she smiled.

"That's a brilliant idea! You think we'll be able to get me something that will help me evolve?" She asked.

"Of course we will. You just have to decide on what you want to evolve into." I said.

"Oh yeah. I've never seriously thought about it..." She said looked down deep in thought.

"Let's just reach the festival first and you'll decide later." I said and after she nodded, we walked towards the square.

? PoV

"Come on, you can't be serious! Mom and dad will be really mad if you don't do it!" Hans said as he glared angrily at me. We were on my room, playing with my many toys, when I told him my plan.

"I've decided. I've already told them I am going to stay the way I am." I answered my brother and he signed. "I thought you'd understand. You are my only sibling that isn't angry at me." I said.

"That's not true. You know that Aqua and Aurora want to see you evolve. They aren't used to not getting what they want. Like us." He said and signed again. "I have a feeling this mansion is going to be more lively that it already is Belle." He said.

"What do you mean?" I asked my brother.

"Mon and dad won't let it go without making you regret that decision."

Hans is a year older than me, and the youngest brother of the family. Aqua is my second brother and Aurora is the big sis. All of them evolved into Prinplup on their second Evolution Festival, so I am supposed to evolve as well. The only problem? I want to stay a Piplup. But my parents disagree. They are both Empoleon and they believe a Pokemon must reach its final evolution to be complete. They also think that I must obey them, since they are not only my parents, but also the heads of one of the strongest and wealthiest families in Ivara. The names of Silver and Diamond Goldpeng earned them great respect wherever they went.

That's why I have a plan. I know that I have earned the required experience to evolve, and so does mom and dad. I can barely hold the evolution, so the timing of the festival is perfect. Not because I can evolve, but because I can find the only thing that can help me. An Everstone! A stone that prevents evolution. My plan is to go to the festival and buy one. Simple.

"Belle, you know that they will eventually find out about the stone, don't you?" He asked and I nodded. "There's no point in getting one. It will just spare you a few days, a week the most."

"If I can postpone it even for a couple of days, it's worth the time." I said. I haven't revealed my whole plan. After the festival is over, I am going to sneak out and start my adventure! So I just have to stay a Piplup till the day after tomorrow. I have already prepared the things I'll need.

"I just hope you get away with it in one piece sis." Hans said and smiled at me. I returned the smile. I hope so too...

000

Sara's PoV

Even though the festival hadn't started yet, the square was busy. Merchants were setting their benches and tables, Pokemon were walking by them interested in everything that was happening, children were running around happily. I couldn't help it, as a small smile formed on my face. I was sure that there was no way anyone could possibly track me down while there was such a crowd. Also, I knew this festival was full of positive energy. Something I longed to see since I left Brill.

"The preparations will be over by nightfall. That time, the merchants will bring their products and the festival will begin. They are going to start fires all over the city and they are going to be put out by dawn." She said. My eyes widened at the thought. Brill became quite after around twelve o'clock.

"Are they really going to stay awake till then?" I asked in awe as I thought about the poor fellows that would have to wait till dawn to watch the fire.

"Of course they will. Everyone stays till dawn. It's our greatest celebrations after all!" Star said.

"Hey, wait a sec! You mean we'll stay awake as well?" I asked as I realized what she said.

"Not necessarily. If you want, you are free to go sleep. You have three nights after all." She said. I tilted my head in question.

"What do you mean three nights?" I asked.

"Well, the festival lasts for three days. On the first day, we celebrate the birth. You see, hatching from an egg is the first stage of evolution. On the second day, we celebrate the evolution as it is known today, and on the final day, we celebrate for those that have evolved during this festival." Star told me.

"Looks to me like everyone wants to keep the festival going for as long as possible." I said giggling. Star nodded smiling. "So, how can we get the things I need in order to evolve?" I asked her.

"Well, it depends on what you want to evolve into." Star told me. "If you want to evolve into Vaporeon, Jolteon or Flareon, then we're going to need one of the three stones. We have to buy them or win them in a contest."

"I don't know... Vaporeon was always one of my choices. What about Lefeon?" I asked. "I know I have to be near a stone."

"Yeah, Leafeon and Glaceon are tricky. There are merchants that carry fragments of the stones needed to evolve into those two. The only problem is that you have to battle in order to evolve. Those stones combined with the adrenaline trigger the evolution."

"Hm... I always wanted to evolve into Leafeon or Vaporeon. I always looked up to my parents. They are both so elegant and strong. But now I don't know which one to evolve into..." I said as I phased the dilemma.

"It's your choice Sara. I can't help you in that." Star told me. "Getting a stone will be easier than fighting till your adrenaline is 'activated'. But if you want to become a Leafeon, just do it. Don't regret it for the rest of your life."

"Thanks Star. I really appreciate it." I told her.

000

Belle's PoV

I walked the busy street, searching desperately, trying to find me an Everstone. My evolution had become really difficult to contain, so I had to find one and fast. Unfortunately, no one had started selling yet, so it seemed like useless effort. My body started sweating as it was hard to contain the evolution and walk in a quick pace stressed, trying to find the small stone. My plan was simple and effective, but I never expected that.

"Hey young lady, are you all right? You seem to be in pain." I heard a voice behind me and I turned. A Slowbro stood there, looking worriedly at me.

"I need an Everstone and I think my time is running out." I said panting. "Why can't any merchant start selling already?" I asked frustrated.

"Oh, if you are indeed almost out of time, let me give you one." The Slowbro said as he moved behind a small bench and searched below it. A moment later, he raised his hands, revealing a small wooden box. "Aha! Here we are." He said as he passed the box to me.

"Is that it?" I asked as I opened it and touched the brown stone. Immediately, I felt the evolution slowly fade away and I let out a sign of relief. I tied the little chain behind my neck and smiled at the Slowbro. "Thank you, you have saved me." I said. "How much do I own you?" I asked.

"100 Pods" The Slowbro said smiling. I blinked at him. An Everstone usually costs 200 to 300 Pods. Why was he selling it that low?

"Excuse me, are you illegal or something?" I asked and the Slowbro blinked.

"No, why do you ask?" He asked me.

"Because it's just too low, so it looks sort of suspicious." I said. He smiled again

"No, it's just that I have found a mine near my place and I dug up many. I still profit with that low price." He said.

"Well, you saved me from a life as a Prinplup, so here." I said, giving him 300 Pods. His eyes widened. "Don't worry. My family is rich, so I don't really need those money." I said.

"Thank you young lady. I'll never forget your kindness." The Slowbro said. He was such a nice fellow...

**End of Chapter**

Thanks for your reviews guys! I don't know if this chapter was good or not. I hope it was. Also I might get a job, so my "writting time" will go down a bit... Hope I can live up to updating once per week...**  
**


	20. Aracnophobia

Hello guys. At long last I have updated. I don't really like the way it turned out. The reason? I had already finished this before my pc crashed and I didn't have the mood to rewrite it (yes, I was forced to format). So I was a bit of bored... but it's finished at long last. Enjoy!

**CHAPTER 20: ARACNOPHOBIA**

Lore's PoV

We headed downstairs and looked out on the street from the window. Even though there was nothing unusual in sight, I could feel something was wrong. And I was right, as I noticed something moving in the shadows. I looked at Alex and he nodded, confirming he had seen it as well.

"We are trapped." I said. "We must charge and fight our way out."

"I don't think they will let us. They must have some sort of plan. We need to think of something and fast." He said. I considered our situation. If we stayed here, they would eventually enter and we would have to fight inside, destroying the place completely. If we rushed out, we would be horribly outnumbered.

"This isn't going well..." I said.

"Damn! Whatever I think of, suggest we should get out and fight our way through!" Alex said frustrated.

"What's going on here?" The Monferno asked as he entered the room and spotted us. "Why are you up so early?"

"Those bandits, what kind of Pokémon are they?" I asked. This would give us a huge advantage.

"We only know their leaders. They are two Ariados, but we've never seen their underlings. They creep in the shadows and attack from there. Why?" He asked.

"You better hide. There has been a small setback and you don't want to be caught in it." Alex told him and turned to me. "Looks like we don't have any other choice, let's go."

"Prepare yourself for the worst." I said as we headed for the exit and charged out. It was quite, but I could smell them, as well as hear many small legs moving. "They must be spinarak."

"Probably. Be careful for their web. If we manage to avoid it, we'll have a chance." Alex told me. I heard movement from the left and I jumped on the side, managing to get Alex and myself away from the thin web that hit the ground. Quickly, I got on my feet, as did Alex, who used a Swift attack on the spot that the web was shot. A yell of pain was heard and a Spinarak was thrown back, outside of his hiding spot in the bush.

"So, we were right after all Alex. They are Spinarak." I told him and he signaled me not to lose my focus. Another web was shot, but we jumped out of the way, Alex shot a Shadow Ball, hitting another. Damn, I felt so useless since I didn't have any ranged ability. I would have to get close, something risky.

"Let's move slowly for the exit." Alex whispered and I nodded. I got an idea as I slowly moved towards the exit of the town. I could hear the Spinarak move with their little legs.

"They are moving. Probably planning to ambush us when we try to leave. You get right side, I get left." I whispered. I knew what I had to do. When the time got right, I would set it in motion. We reached the exit and I heard them. I turned towards them and used Screech. Instantly, I charged towards them and used Blaze Kick, as I caught five of them of guard. I quickly jumped back, as I knew I was an easy target.

"Get down!" I heard Alex say, and I barely avoided the Poison Stings that flew above me. Alex was firing his swift attack on the right side, trying to buy us time.

"Now's our chance!" I said as I charged ahead, ready to get out of the town. Before I could get through, I saw a ball of ghostly energy destroy the invisible web that covered the entire exit. I turned and smiled on Alex you was right behind me. If it wasn't for his quick thinking, I would have fallen into their trap. We got out and started running, without knowing where we were headed. The sun wasn't out yet, so we couldn't tell where east was. I couldn't hear the Spinarak follow, but I didn't stop running.

"What are we going to do now?" Alex told me when the sun finally appeared to our right. So we were headed north. "We may have lost them, but we are still inside their territory." Alex said.

"We have to get out of this forest. If they find us here, we're toast!" I said.

"Let's head north. I hope we can get out fast."

000

Alex's PoV

We had been walking for hours, trying to get out of the forest, but the farther we went, the thicker it got. We were both tired, but we knew it would be suicide to rest. I signed and kept walking. Suddenly, Lore stopped me, dragged me quickly behind a bush and signaled me to stay silent. I looked at him confused, but soon, I understood.

"Face it, we've lost them!" A voice said from somewhere nearby. "Everyone has returned to the camp."

"Morris, you were there. Those guys are powerful! If we find them and manage to convince them to help us, we may be able to end Spekil brother's crazy plans." Another voice said. I looked at Lore.

"But... what if they aren't powerful enough? The Spekils will not just let us go you know!" The first voice, probably Morris's, said.

"I am willing to take that risk. And I know the others are as well. Listen what, we'll search for them till nightfall, and if we don't find them, we go back to the camp." I gestured at Lore and he nodded.

"You aren't going to need till nightfall." Lore said, causing the two Spinarak to step back in fear. One of them took a deep breath and moved towards us.

"Hello. I am Kail and this is Morris. I have a proposition to make." The Spinarak said.

"Yeah, you want us to defeat those brothers. Are you serious? You think we'll just follow you into a trap?" Lore asked.

"He is right you know. And we have no chance against the brothers, that I suspect they are your leaders." I said.

"Yeah, they are our leaders. They are two Ariados and quite the lunatic. If no one stops them, they are going to destroy Sepale completely. And that's only the beginning!" Kail said.

"What?" I asked in shock. Where they really going to destroy the village? But why? Before I could open my mouth though, Lore beat me to it.

"Why would they even want to destroy it? It doesn't make any sense." Lore said crossing his arms. Kail frowned.

"As I said, they are lunatics. They believe that Marcus is just a stupid bastard that doesn't care for anything. So they decided to destroy everything they can till he moves his ass and stops them."

"That's just stupid." I said. "There's no way they would try something like that."

"So...Sorry to say this, b...but yes, they would." Morris said with a bit shaky voice. "They have already started. A town was destroyed some time ago. They..they had told us a week before that, that they have made an alliance with another group of bandits. And they destroyed it."

"This isn't good... I don't trust them, but what if they are telling the truth? We can't just sit by and watch!" I said. I knew I would regret it if Sepale was destroyed and I passed on a chance to prevent it.

"Alex, this is too dangerous..." Lore said. "But I agree. Let's go with them." Lore told me and I blinked.

"Are you sure about this? It can prove pretty fatal to go there..." I said. If they got us and they were really a couple of lunatics, we were done for. And if this was a trap, we would be in a really tough situation.

"Of course I am. I told you I have to kill a member of 'The Order', so if we can't defeat a couple of goons like them, we'll never make it." He said. I blinked once and then I smiled.

"You are right Lore." I said as I turned towards the two spinarak. "Lead the way."

The two Spinarak nodded and started walking towards the opposite direction of the one we were headed before. So many things crossed my mind as I followed them. There were many chances we wouldn't get out of this alive. If it was a trap, we would have to battle our way through hundreds of Spinarak and two powerfull Ariados. If this wasn't a trap, we would have to defeat the Ariados. But it was just as Lore said. We had to test ourselves and train as much as we could. Let's just hope that we could survive to see the next day.

"We are almost there." Morris said as a huge web appeared in front of us. "This is our base. The web protects us from everything and every intruder is caught before he or she can attack."

"If any intruder is caught, then what are we going to do?" Lore asked. Good point.

"We are going to bring them out." Kail said as he signed for us to wait, while he went forward. "Hey guys, it's me Kail!" He said. Suddenly, a dozen of Spinarak left the web and appeared in front of us.

"Kail, how did it go?" One of them asked as she came forwards. "Did you get them?"

"Yes, they are there, behind the trees. We need to lure the Spekil brothers out so they can defeat them." Kail said.

"We could start a fight..." One of the suggested. "That way, we will get them out as well as all the Spinarak."

"That's a good idea." Morris said. "You know, we have to deal with those that will stand with the brothers. The battle must be only the Spekil brothers. So, ready everyone?" The other Spinarak nodded. They all turned towards the tree we were hiding.

"Are you ready Alex? We are going to have to work together. Those guys will have great teamwork. We need to do better than them." He told me. I nodded. I was ready to tell Morris and Kail to start the fight, but then, an idea hit me.

"Hey Lore, what do you say we..."

000

Lore's PoV

I could see the Spinarak fight each other. I could tell that they were faking it, but I knew beforehand that they were and I was pretty close. So it might fool the others. I grinned at Alex one more time. His idea was pretty good, it would surely work. I focused on the fight again. I was starting to believe that they had failed, but I heard movement from within the web. I silently told Alex they were coming and got ready to appear.

"What is the meaning of this?" A deep voice asked in anger. "What the heck are you doing?" The full grown Ariados demanded.

"I am sorry chief Arak... We sort of had a little argument..." Kail said as he moved towards the Ariados.

"A little? You call that a little? We could hear you on the other side of the freaking forest! Wait till my brother gets here and we'll deside what we're going to do. I assure you though, you are all gonna get punished!" He said.

"I agree with you brother. They deserve it." Another voice said and the second Ariados appeared. "I believe I told you to keep your strength for tomorrow when we attack and annihilate that pathetic excuse of a village!" Alex looked at me and motioned to go. We both jumped behind the two siblings.

"So you want to destroy Sepale, ha? Then you'll have to get through us first!" I said. They both turned around in shock, but they smiled.

"Well, well, well. What do we have here? The two bastards that escaped us. You came right into the wolfs lair." The second brother said.

"I don't think so chief Bain." Kail said in detrmination. The Spekil brothers looked at him with narrowed eyes.

"What do you mean, you lowly bastard?" Bain asked. Kail didn't even flinch.

"What I mean is that they are going to defeat you. And we'll help them!" He answered.

"Oh, so we have a rebellion? It's about time something interested happened here." Arac said and suddenly, more Spinarak appeared.

"I hope you are ready to die." Bain said and all the Spinarak behind him charged against Kail and his companions. "Now, let's take care of the two of you." He said looking at Akex and I. That was all I needed, so I charged at Arac. And so the battle begun. Arac dodged my Force Palm and attempted a Bug Bite, witch I dodged easily.

"You fool. Fighting type attacks are almost useless against us!" Arac said and I smirked as I attacked again with Quick Attack. Arac wasn't able to dodge it and was shot some meters away. As I charged to land a punch on his head, I heard Alex's warning and ducked under Bain's Fury Swipes. I then placed my palms below his chest and shot a powerful Force Palm. As he was shot upwards, he was hit by Alex's Shadow Ball. Bain landed close to his brother.

"You are the strong Spekil brothers? Seriously, you need to do better than that..." I said taunting them.

"What are you talking about? We were just testing your strength and searched for your weakness. And we found it." Bain said.

"Oh yeah? Then saw us your true power!" Alex said as he took a battle stance. He fired a Shadow Ball at the two of them and they sidestepped to evade it. I charged forward with Quick Attack, ready to hit Arac, but he dodged and jumped back. He then attacked me with Pin Missile. I dodged most of them, but some hit me and caused me to jump back. They weren't really effective, but they could destruct me and give him an opening. I charged towards him with Focus Punch, but he used string shot on a tree brunch and climbed up, avoiding it. From above, he smirked and I could tell which attack he was about to use. I barely managed to get away from his Night Shade, which would have caused major damage. I jumped towards him and got ready to punch him, but he jumped away and shot me another Pin Missile attack. I smirked as I realized what he was doing.

"Alex, are you ready?" I asked as I jumped towards Arac again. He jumped back and I could see Alex back-step towards him. I charged but when I got closer to Arac, I changed my target on Bain. My Quick Attack caught him by surprise, as it hit him and sent him back. At the same time, Alex shot a Shadow Ball, followed by Swift on Arac. Their tactic was to keep away from me since I was strong on melee combat and close to Alex who had good ranged attacks. So we just used a little trick.

"That was impressive. You have pretty good teamwork." Arac said as he walked towards Bain.

"I can say the same about you." I said smiling. "I can also say that you are going down!" I charged at Arac, but he jumped back again. I run after him, but I tripped on something. Sting Shot damn it! I rolled just in time to avoid a Poison Jab attack and used Counter. Arac dodged and used Night Shade. I was hit and my head felt like it was about to blow. Next, I felt an intense pain on my left hand. I jumped away blindly, knowing that if I got hit by another Shadow Sneak, I would be as good as dead.

"Lore, switch!" I heard Alex yelling from behind and I forced Arac to jump back.

"Are you retarded? Never use the same tactic twice!" Bain yelled as he got closer to Alex. I smirked. I attacked Arac and he side-stepped, thinking that Alex would use a ranged attack. Alex created a small Shadow Ball and spat it... towards me. I took the hit and both Bain and Arac looked shocked. I smirked again as I used Copycat and sent a powerfull Shadow Ball straight towards Arac, who didn't managed to avoid it, due to his shock. I then charged and attacked him with an all mighty Blaze Kick. He yelled in pain and so did Bain. I guess Alex used that technique he told me about. Arac was burnt and I charged again, rolled underneath him and used Force Palm, followed by a Focus Punch. He was shot upwards and hit the ground hard. I turned to Bain and charged with Blaze Kick, while he was busy dodging Alex's multiple Shadow Balls. I brought my leg crashing on his head, causing him to fall unconscious.

"That takes care of them." Alex said. I nodded and turned to face the Spinarak. Looks like they had all stopped fighting some time ago and they watched our battle. Now they were speechless.

"You did it... you actually did it!" Kail said in shock and after that, he started laughing and cheering. "You did it!"

End of Chapter

As I said, I don't think it was that good, but anyway. I promise the next chapter will be good. I am gonna give some spoilers to apologize. Next chapter, Sara evolves! Also, why is the technology-age so messed up? We're gonna have an answer to that. Finally, humans are gonna be involved, but not the way you may think ;P. Please review!


	21. Evolution Festival

**HAPPY ANNIVERSARY EVERYONE!**

This didn't go exactly as I wanted it to go, but I wanted to update tonight. As I promised, we have an explanation about the technological mess, the humans and of course Sara EVOLVES :). I am so happy. I hope you guys like it. Also, there is more to Sara than meets the eye (She has a special ability as well). There is a small hint, but I believe only a couple of you will be able to find it.

**CHAPTER 21: EVOLUTION FESTIVAL**

Star's PoV

The night fall and the city came to life. Pokemon were everywhere, dancing and singing, and of course, I was among them. The fires reached high, about five meters tall and some brave Pokemon jumped above them(1). Around the square, merchants yelled, trying to persuade everyone that passed by them to take a look at their merchandise. In the middle of the square, there was an arena and Pokemon were fighting. I love this festival!

But something wasn't right... And then, it hit me. I looked around and I saw Sara just standing near a house, looking around in awe and... was it fear? I left the rest of the Pokemon and headed her way. The night was still very young, so she would get bored if she didn't start having fun.

"Hey there, are you having a good time?" I asked as I stood next to her.

"Not really..." She said. "This is completely out of my league. I mean, you told me it was the greatest celebration in all Ivara, but never expected this!"

"Don't you like it? Come on, let's go dance, you'll see it's real fun!" I said smiling at her. Sara game me a small smile, but at least it was a start. "Let's go!" I said and I rushed back to the dancing Pokemon, Sara walking slowly behind me. She eventually reached us and joined in the dancing. She gasped at the speed we danced and almost tripped more than once. She wasn't used to dancing, that's for sure, but after a couple of minutes, she got the hang of it and slowly, she started cheering and laughing like the rest of us.

Time passed by quickly, as both Sara and I had the time of our lives. We stopped dancing and walked around the square, just looking at the Pokemon inspired by the celebration spirit. We bought some snacks and headed for the arena, where we hoped to see some good battling. Unfortunately, there wasn't anything interesting, so we left and wandered away from the festival and the loud noises.

"So, are you having a good time now?" I asked her.

"Yeah, this is so awesome! I can't believe we still have two more days!" Sara said and let out a relaxed sign.

"And this is nothing! The second night is always wilder. You see Pokemon evolving all night and there are so many battles! We're gonna have a great time." I said. We sat there, in the nice, cold breeze, relaxing from the atmosphere inside the square.

"Ok, I believe it's time to return. Let's go have more fun!" Sara said and we cheered as we headed towards the still raging festival.

000

Sara's PoV

I woke up the next morning, my head spinning. I growled as I tried to stand up, only to have a wave of dizziness force me down again. Was this festival really worth the headache? I thought about it for a moment and I smiled. Of course it did. How long had it been since I enjoyed myself that much? The fact that I couldn't remember says it all, right? Or maybe this was due to the headache. Anyway, I stood up again and looked around the room, spotting Star almost immediately. I walked towards her and shook her.

"Come on Star, wake up." I said. She groaned but didn't wake up. "Wake up!" I said a bit louder and she rubbed her eyes as she tried to stand up.

"What's going on? What time is it?" She asked me, as she tried to stand straight.

"It's morning and looking at the sun's position, I'd say really late morning." I said. She looked outside the window and nodded her head.

"Let's go and have some breakfast." She said. We walked downstairs and entered the inn's lobby. We left the building and headed for a nearby restaurant (A/N: I don't know if they are called restaurants or something else) and had some bacon and eggs.

"Yesterday was great, I had so much fun. I can't believe that today it's going to be more fun..." I said.

"Of course it will. Think about it., today everywhere you look, you'll see Pokemon evolving! And not to mention that you'll be evolving as well!" She smiled at me. "So, have you decided on which one of the seven?" She asked me and I nodded.

"Yeah, I decided on Leafeon. I don't know if it's the best choice, but I'm sticking with it." I said. I wish I could chose more than one, but that's impossible, right? We finished our breakfast and left the building, ready for a stroll. But when we got outside, I heard a strange sound, like sparks of electricity hit the ground.

"What's going one?" Sara asked no one in particular. Confused, both of us walked towards the direction of the sound and we saw a Flaaffy, an Elekid and a Magnemite send sparks on a weird machine. More electric type Pokemon stood there, waiting for something, probably their turn.

"Keep going guys, in ten minutes next group will take over." A Smeargle said. When he spotted us, he hurried our way. "Wow, stand back, we don't want anyone to get hurt, do we?" He said.

"Excuse me, what are those Pokemon doing?" I asked.

"Producing electricity of course. We need much during the festival and since the wind isn't strong to get windpower, neither a river to get hydroelectric power, we have to get through electric type Pokemon."

"Oh, so those Pokemon are working right now?" I asked.

"Yes, the festival here gives a chance to electric type Pokemon to earn some money by doing what they do best. Use electric attacks." He said. "And since electricity is really dangerous, I have to ask you leave. Don't want to spend the festival in the hospital." He said and we left.

"I can't understand that..." I said slowly. Star looked at me confused. "We have so many machines that work with electricity and yet we have only those ways of producing it..."

"Well, we haven't really found any hint that can help us with that yet."

"Found a hint? What do you mean?" I asked confused.

"Like we did with our technology..." Star told me, but that got me even more confused.

"What exactly do you mean...?" I asked.

"Have you ever heard about humans?" Star asked me. I nodded, what did humans had to do with this?

"Yeah, I've heard that they were an advanced race and that they got extinct about a thousand years ago." I said.

"Really advanced race. They had tall buildings that could reach the sky, machines for all sorts of things, means of transportation that could get you to the other side of the world in less than a day and perfectly safe."

"Yeah, I've heard about that too. I've also heard that they were pretty weak though. They say that even some of the weakest Pokemon could easily match the strength of their average."

"That's correct. Do you know how they got extinct?" She asked me and I shook my head. Come to think of it, it never occurred to me. "There was a meteor shower. Their cities got totally ruined and all of them died. As you said, they were weak. Back then, Pokemon hadn't advanced at all. Each one could only repeat it's name and only the psychic Pokemon had brains that surpassed humans. But even they couldn't understand how their machines worked." She said.

"Wow... really? That why humans could capture us with some weird devices. But... what does it have to do with our technology?" I asked confused.

"Everything. When humans got extinct, we started to advance as a race. We managed to break out language limitation and we developed writing. We created our first technological achievements, something the humans had done a long, long time ago. And then, a hundred years ago, it happened." She said.

"What happened?" I asked, charmed by the magic of the tale.

"We discovered the first human ruins. It was a small village, but the information we got were priceless. We got the blueprints of a machine and we constructed it. It was a telephone. The telephone changed life as the Pokemon back then knew it. Unfortunately, telephone requires poles and cables all around, so phoning was only available locally. But enough with that."

"This small piece of paper brought a new era, as archeologists from all across the land started excavations to try and find human ruins." She continued. "Most of the technological pieces we have right now, are created by human blueprints found on those excavations. We also found out about hydroelectric power and windpower."

"I didn't know that! That explains a lot!" Needless to say I was really shocked.

"Also, humans are the reason our age is so complicated." She continued.

"What are you talking about?" I asked.

"Humans matured far slower than us. The three first years of our lives are multiplied by five. We mature when we are about two to three years old. They do when they get twelve to fifteen. We do this as a tribute to them." She said.

"Really? How come you know all these?" I asked.

"My father was an archeologist. Anyway, let's get going. We have a whole city to admire!" Star said and smiled. I knew she just didn't want to talk about her father...

000

Belle's PoV

Things weren't looking that good. My parents were really pissed I hadn't evolved yet. Luckily, I hid the Everstone pretty well, but they were soon going to find out about it. I had to leave the house sooner than I expected, but that blew up my whole plan. I hadn't packed anything yet and if I tried now, my parents were sure to know. So I did the only thing I could. I left without anything but the Everstone.

I sneaked outside without anyone seeing and run like crazy to the square, knowing there would be a crowd, so I could hide there till I got the opportunity to leave the city unnoticed. Unfortunately though, the crowd wasn't as big as I expected, so I had to hide inside a building or something, cause soon they were going to send someone to find me. I couldn't leave the city right now, cause the guards knew me pretty well and they wouldn't let me go.

I entered the only building I hoped I wasn't going to be recognized. The game club. My parents believed this club to be for the commoners and they never allowed us to go there and of course they didn't go there as well. I went in and instantly knew why they thought that. It was full of Pokemon playing cards (A commoner's thing as they always said) and kids, some running around, other playing board games and even some trading collection cards.

"And this is the game club Sara. Pretty cool, ha?" Said a Vulpix as she entered the building with an Eevee close behind.

"Yeah, we didn't have one of these back home. As you know, it was a pretty small village." The Eevee said.

"So, do you want to stay here for a while or continue with our stroll. There isn't anything interesting left to saw you." The Vulpix said.

"Let's just stay here till the festival continues. I can't wait to evolve!" The Eevee said excited. Wanna swap places? I thought.

"So we need to decide," The Vulpix begun as the passed by me. "are we going to leave tonight or tomorrow?"

"I'd say tonight, since the more time we wait here, the less chances we have of meeting Alex on Valoria." That got my attention. They were going to leave the city tonight and go to Valoria. That was a good place to officially start my adventure. That's when I made up my mind. I was going to join them till we reached Valoria.

000

Sara and Star left the club a couple of hours later and headed for the square, which had changed slightly from last night. The merchants had opened up, so that the center had more space, where small rings with many strange stones were placed. Sara recognized a couple of them and realized they had created the environment required for all Pokemon to evolve. The stone she needed could be found, next to a strange magnet.

Their was a small crowd already, watching as some Pokemon were looking around, correcting a few things on the rings and changing some of the stone combinations that didn't match. As time passed by, the crowd starting growing and growing, eager for the most exciting day of the festival to begin. And when the sun disappeared, the fires were lit, signaling the beginning.

Sara instantly headed for the ring she had seen the stone she needed and stood patiently in line. After a couple of fights where a Nosepass evolved into a Probopass and a Magneton into a Magnezone, it was her turn to fight. She entered the ring and her eyes widened as she saw a huge Pokemon standing in the opposite side. It had a blue body, strong hands with white gloves and a spiral black symbol inside his oval white stomach. A Poliwrath...

"That Eevee is dead meat. Go Poliwrath!" Some of them cheered for the Poliwrath.

"Size doesn't matter, you can do it Eevee!" Other cheered for Sara.

Sara gulped as the the Pokemon in charge of the ring signaled the beginning of the match. The Poliwrath charged forward with a fist, ready to punch her. She managed to avoid the attack and gasped as the ground where she stood a moment ago exploded. 'Dynamicpunch!' Star, who watched the match in shock thought. If Sara had been hit by that, it would be the end. The Poliwrath turned to look at her and charged a beam on his fist, shooting the Focus Blast forward. There was a huge explosion and everyone gasped. That Poliwrath was really powerfull and that Eevee would be seriously damaged by that attack.

But when the smoke cleared, there was a hole in the ground and the Eevee nowhere to be found. This was the first time the Poliwrath looked surprised. It didn't last for long though, as the surprise turned into pain, as Sara appeared from underneath him and landed a punch right on his face, followed up by a Shadow Ball. The Poliwrath took a step back and brought his fist down with power, but his Brick Break missed, as Sara had already back-stepped as well. She fired a spray of golden stars which hit him in the stomach. The Poliwrath then charged again, but Sara side-stepped and used Mud-Slap right on his face, making him lose his balance and hit the ground. Gasps could be heard from the crowd.

"That Eevee is so AWESOME! Go, saw him what you're really made of!" The voices that cheered for Sara grew louder and louder. The Poliwrath looked hatefully at her as blood dropped from a wound on his cheek.

"You are dead you piece of..." He started but was silenced by a loud voice.

"No swearing! Continue with the battle." The referee, a Loudred yelled.

The Poliwrath slowly approached Sara, he must have realized that charging was useless against her. He stopped some meters away from her and shot a powerfull BubbleBeam towards her, but she countered with Swift, destroying them. He then used Water Gun and Sara evaded it and attacked with Shadow Ball, but Poliwrath punched it and it disappeared. He then used Ice Beam and Sara side-stepped, easily evading. But she never expected the Focus Blast that hit her. She was thrown back and hit the ground hard. He approached her and was about to hit her with a Dynamicpunch, but the referee stopped him.

"What do you think you are doing? You've won the battle, stand back."

"Get back if you know what's good for you. Same goes from every single one of you." He said. Star left the crowd, but stopped as the Poliwrath shot her a deathly glare.

"Someone go get help! He is out of control!" She yelled and there was a movement in the crowd as some went to the other rings for help.

"I won't let you kill someone on a celebration like this one! Stand back or you're going to be in huge trouble!" The Loudred yelled. The Poliwrath's response was a powerful Dynamicpunch straight on the face.

"I don't give a damn! I do whatever I want to." He turned towards Sara, but to his surprise, he was blinded by a strong light. "What the heck?" He cursed in shock. When the light faded, instead of an Eevee, a beautiful Leafeon stood before him.

"So... you don't give a damn, right?" She asked and the Poliwrath growled.

"No deference, you are still going down!" He yelled and attacked again with Ice Beam. Sara moved so fast, that his eyes widened when she appeared in front of him.

"There is a deference. It's you who's going down!" She yelled and attacked him with Razor Leaf. The Poliwrath yelled in pain as the attack was super effective. He hadn't even had the time to back-step when another Razor Leaf hit him and another one, and another one. After four of them, he was down.

End of Chapter

On the next chapter Sara appears, we're going to have another hint on her ability :)


	22. Mood Swings

Hello everyone, happy new year! A little late, but it's ok. Sorry it took me so long, but I had a full schedule and I still have... Say welcome to another OC!

**CHAPTER 22: MOOD SWINGS  
**

The day had started pretty weird for the village of Seplae. Early in the morning, the Spekil bandits sneaked into the village and tried, without success, to capture some Pokemon. Later in the morning, there was no inspection because they had been busy chasing them. They eventually gave up and return in time for the noon curfew and in the late evening, the whole bandit group and the two Pokemon that had escaped, entered the village with the Spekil brothers unconscious. Needless to say they got chained with Zin immediately.

Lore the Riolu and Alex the Eevee, the two Pokemon responsible for the downfall of the most fearsome bandit group in these parts. Every single Pokemon gathered in the middle of the village, where the small square was and cheered for their saviors. By nightfall, a party started, celebrating the freedom of the village. Even though the village was pretty poor, they managed to gather decent amount and quality of food and drinks. As the cheering and the voices quite down a bit, an old Pokemon got in the middle, so she could get the attention of all the Pokemon gathered there. She had light yellow skin, a couple of leafs around her neck and a huge one right on top of her head. Her eyes were blue, full of knowledge and she stood on four legs. A Bayleef.

"I'm glad everyone has so much fun." She begun. "I'd like to thank those two young men again, for they saved us from those tyrants. Please, come here." She said and the two Pokemon got up and sat next to her, looking nervous. "We have sent word to the capital to come and get them. You'll collect their bounties when we get it." She said smiling.

"Hey, wait a second!" Alex said as he looked even more nervous. "We can't wait here any longer, we'll be on our way tomorrow."

"But then how are you going to collect the bounties?" Asked the Bayleef confused. Alex thought about it for a while and then smiled.

"How about you keep it?" He asked and everyone gasped.

"No, we can't! You are the ones that defeated them, so you must be the ones to get the money. You've already done so much for us." She said.

"Nah, keep them. You deserve them after everything they've done to you." Alex said.

"How kind of you! Now we'll be able to celebrate the Evolution Festival!" The Bayleef said happy. "Let's cheer for our saviors one more time!" She said and everyone cheered.

"I am glad we decided to help." Alex told Lore as they returned to their sits. "The smiles on those Pokemon's faces was worth it."

"Whatever." Lore said looking bored, but a smile was visible behind his covered with his hands mouth. A ferret-like Pokemon approached them and sat down beside Alex. Alex instantly recognized it as a Furret.

"Hello, I am Laune. Thanks for helping us!" The furret, clearly a female, said.

"Nice to meet you." Alex said smiling. "Don't worry about it. It was nothing."

"What are you talking about? It was awesome! You defeated the most fearsome bandit group in these parts!" She said cheerfully.

"It wasn't like that, we only dealt with their leaders." Alex said.

"That's what I mean! And it was something really difficult, so don't try to be modest!" Laune suddenly snapped with an angry look, causing Alex to flinch. Even Lore looked at her puzzled.

"Hey take it easy, ok it was something difficult and awesome!" Alex said as she shot him a glare.

"Oh, so now you are the awesome guys that saved the day ha?" She asked sarcastically. Alex's mouth hanged open and he didn't know what to say. He looked at Lore, who just looked at her with a stupid look.

"No, I didn't mean it like that." Alex said after he found his voice again.

"Nah, I know. Don't worry about it. Wanna dance?" She asked Lore cheerfully. 'Seriously, there is something wrong with that girl...' Alex thought.

"No." Lore just said. Laune blinked a couple of times, then she turned to Alex again.

"What about you? Are you in?" She asked him. Alex looked at Lore and before he could say anything, she dragged him in the middle of the square where Pokemon were dancing.

000

Alex's PoV

I woke up and stood up. At first glance, I realized I wasn't in bed, but somewhere else, somewhere outside. And then, it hit me... I was back in my mind. The great deserted city stood before me, with all the stone buildings and bridges and the sand covering everything. A closer look, made me realize that indeed, the city was less complex than the last time I was here. Just like my subconscious said. But there was a something that bugged me. Last time I was here, my subconscious wanted to saw me my potential. Why was I there this time?

I started walking the empty street, searching for my subconscious. I hoped he was somewhere in the 'explored' side of my mind, cause there was no way I was going to the other side. As I passed by the buildings, images flashed by mind, another thing I recalled from the last time. 'If those are my memories, then how come this is my potential? How does memories make you stronger or smarter.' I thought as I kept walking, without knowing where I was headed.

A couple of minutes later, or was it hours? It's hard to specify when everything around you stands still and the sun remains in the same position, while you are deep in thought, I came across a dead end. I entered the building and smiled as I realized it was the exact same one I met my subconscious. I looked around, waiting for him to appear from the shadows like the last time, but he didn't, so I climbed the staircase, wait a minute, was there a staircase last time. I reached the top and there he stood.

"Hello, long time no seen." I said and he turned around.

"Hello Alex, quite some indeed." He said simply and returned his gaze.

"Just a little question, was there a staircase last time?" I asked.

"Yes. You didn't notice it before, did you?" He asked and I nodded. "You hadn't fully synchronized with the idea of being in your head. You were still trying to block your mind, so you just skipped it." He said.

"I didn't quite get it, can you say that again, simpler?" I asked.

"Well, simply put, every time you enter your mind, you will find something new. Most of the time at least." He answer.

"Ok, so now what?" I asked.

"This time Alex, I am going to saw you something unexpected. Look beyond the city borders. What do you see?" He asked me and I looked.

"Desert." I said simply as the vast sea of sand went on and on, beyond my sight.

"Just desert? Looks more carefully." He said. I looked again and concentrated.

"I see a lake and a couple of trees. Sorry, can't see anything else." I said.

"That's exactly what I wanted you to see." He said and smiled.

"Ok, I'm officially lost. And what is so important about this lake and forest?" I asked confused.

"First of all, it's called an Oasis. Second, normally, no one is able to see more than what he imagines of his mind. Meaning, normally, you wouldn't be able to see more than desert outside the bound of the city. But you can and I know the reason." He said and I motioned him to go on. "It's because of the 'Learning Process' ability of yours. You are able to understand the nature of other types, beyond your own. Therefore, you can understand life itself better." He finished.

"So, I can extend my 'mind' beyond what a normal Eevee would, right?" I asked, starting to get the point. He nodded and I continued. "But what does that mean? How is it going to make be better?" I asked.

"The more you understand, the easier you'll deal with things. If you know how the fighting type Pokemon's body work, then you'll be able to defeat them easier." He said.

"That sounds promising." I said smiling.

"That's all I had to saw you tonight. You can go." He said and I blinked.

"Tonight? The sun is up." I pointed and he smiled.

"What's wrong with you? The sun is all in your head. It's night and you are sleeping peacefully in your bed." He said sarcastically and everything went black.

000

(No one's PoV)

Alex opened his eyes. The sun was barely visible far to the east. He got up and rubbed his eyes. On the bed next to him, Lore was still asleep. Having nothing else to do (getting back to sleep was out of the question), he headed downstairs and out in the fresh air. The Dark clouds were still above us, but there was not even a single drop of rain yet. He took a deep breath and exhaled.

The village hadn't fully woken up, but Pokemon were moving crates around the small square. Alex recognized many Pokemon from the night before, but the one that caught his attention was Laune. She was sitting in the boundaries of the village, in front of the path that leads southeast, towards Valoria. He started walking, covering the distance between them.

"Good morning Laune, how are you?" He asked her.

"Ha? Oh, hello Alex. Good morning to you too." She answered and signed melancholically.

'Is something wrong? You seem a bit down." He said.

"No, really? Do I look down?" She snapped again. Alex blinked and she signed again. "Sorry about that. My damn mood swings." She appologized. 'Mood swings? That makes sense...' Alex thought.

"You want to talk about it?" He asked her. Laune hesitated for a moment before she spoke.

"Well... it might make me feel better." She pointed out. "You see, I want to go out on my own journey someday. But I am scared to out there, all alone. Do you know how it feels like to long to do something and be afraid of it on the same time? It's just frustrating!"

"So, the only problem is that you are afraid to leave Sepale?" He asked.

"No. That I am afraid of what danger lies ahead. In four months, I'll be 15 years old(1), but I just can't find the courage to leave." She said. Alex thought about it. If he asked her to come with them to Halka, it would be too dangerous for her. Also, he had to consider Lore's opinion. But she looked so miserable he couldn't just leave her. Lore could just ignore her and after some time, she may get the courage to survive on her own and leave the group.

"You can come with us if you want to. But there are some things you need to know if you do." He said. She looked at him with wide eyes.

"Go with you where?" She asked.

"Lore and I are headed for Halka and a friend of mine is supposed to meet me there, or along the road." He said.

"Halka? I always wanted to go to Halka! Yeah, Halka, Halka, Halka!" She cheered and Alex sweet dropped. "When do we leave?" She asked eagerly.

"Yeah wait! There is something you must know first. It will be dangerous." He said.

"Yeah, I know. That's why I was afraid to go in the first place, besides, you'll be with me. I mean, you defeated the Spekil brothers!" She said.

"No, it will be more dangerous." Alex said and prepared himself for another mood swing. "I also have a bounty on my head. For something I didn't do!" He added the last part quickly.

"Ok but, when do we leave?" She asked, not losing her cheerfulness.

"Early noon..." Alex said.

"Ok, I'll be ready by then!" She said and run off.

"...ok..." Alex just said before going to wake Lore up and tell him the news.

End of Chapter

(1): Meaning she will be 3 years old. To explain further, 1 year old is 5, 2 is 10, 3 is 15 and then we go normally, 4 is 16, 5 is 17 etc

Starting from this Monday and till the end of February, I'm on exams period, so there is little chance I'll be able to update. Read and review!


	23. Leaving Castal

No everyone, I am not dead! I was having a huge writer's block and I focused on my other stories. I just realized it has been almost ten months and I was ashamed of myself. I read the whole story today and was ashamed once more for the so many mistakes, like spelling show as saw multiple times... A good thing about the hiatus is that I have improved my witting skills a little while witting my other stories. Enough with my rumbling, on with the story!

**CHAPTER 23: LEAVING CASTAL  
**

It was late at night when Star and Sara decided to return to their room. Sara felt really awkward to suddenly be three times taller than she was as an Eevee. The evolution was a unique experience and despite the awkwardness, she felt great. She could feel so much energy inside of her and the sudden warm feeling the sun had been emitting, which she thought was due to her now being a grass type, made her miss the daylight in length she never thought possible.

"How does it feel to be taller than me?" Star asked her friend who turned around. Sara smiled down at her, since she was now at least a head taller than she was and smiled.

"Superior." She said. "Just kidding. It feels really good. I can't wait for Alex to see me. He is gonna be so jealous!" Sara said, a grin forming all over her face.

"Sorry to burst your bubble, but don't you think he is going to evolve too?" Star asked her. "I mean, he is a wanted person as well." She pointed out and Sara smirked.

"Yeah, you're probably right. Now that you mentioned it, I wonder in what he's going to evolve... Probably a Flareon since he is so fond of his father." Sara said.

"Why don't you tell me more about him, since we'll be traveling together soon." Star asked with interest. The way Sara always talked so high of him made her really want to meet him.

"He is a thickheaded idiot who doesn't know what sleep is. He likes exploring like hell and can't stay in one place for a long time. This pretty much sums it up." She answered.

"Really? I can't wait to meet him!" Star said happily. "Here we are." They reached the inn and walked to the counter.

"Hello. Do you need anything?" The Aipom behind the counter asked cheerfully.

"No, we just was to inform you that in a couple of hours we'll be leaving. So if you want to clean up the room, even though it doesn't need much, you can start right away." Star said and the Aipom nodded.

"Which room are you in?" He asked.

"Room 13." Sara said.

"Oh, there was a message for room 13! Hang on a second." He said searching the papers in front of him for the message. "Here it is!" He said triumphantly and gave them a letter.

"Thank you very much." Sara said confused and opened it. "Dear Eevee and Vulpix. I'd like a word with you. After leaving the inn, turn left, then one straight and right. I'll be waiting with a cloak on." Sara finished reading.

"Excuse me? Why should we do that? We don't know anything about the one that sent the letter. It may be a trap." Star said in disbelief about the writer of the letter.

"Hm... How long ago was the letter sent?" Sara asked.

"About an hour ago." The Aipom said, still cheerfully.

"I had evolved by then already. So that means the one that sent this letter probably doesn't know I am a Leafeon now." She said and was lost in thought.

"I think I know where you're getting at." Star said and closed her eyes in thought. "It may work, but what if they recognize you?" She asked. "It's pretty risky."

I know, but what if it's someone that can help us? I am willing to take that risk. If it comes down to battling, I am sure the fact that I evolved will help. Both in terms of power and for the element of surprise." She said and Star nodded.

"Ok then, we better go right now. You go first and I'll follow close behind." Star said and Sara left the inn to get to the meeting place. It didn't take long, since it was really close, but when she reached it, there was no one there.

"No one here... That means I am either stood up, or soon to be ambushed." Sara said slowly and concentrated, ready to launch at the first suspicious sound.

"Leafeon, over here!" A low whisper was heard and Sara turned to the nearby building to see a blue penguin like Pokemon standing there with a black cloak, looking around. "Are you the Eevee that I sent the message?" She, clearly a she, asked.

"Yeah. What do you want to talk about?" She asked, not dropping her guard. She could be attacked any moment now.

"Where is the Vulpix? Weren't you supposed to leave together tonight?" The Pokemon asked, looking around. She seemed pretty scared about being spotted by someone.

"She has stayed behind." Sara said, knowing that Star was hidden nearby, hearing their every word. "Now back to the point, What do you want to talk about?" She asked again.

"Come inside... I can't be seen outside." The Pokemon said, but Sara didn't move. Here, she would be able to defend better against an ambush and escape using dig if necessary. "Suspicious, ha? Ok, just come a little closer so I can stay concealed." She said and Sara nodded.

"Ok, I am coming, but it better be worth it!" Sara walked slowly and stopped when she reached the front of the building. The Pokemon looked scared and was shaking every now and then.

"I need to leave the city tonight." The penguin said not wasting any more time. "I've run away from home and now the guards are looking for me. I have no chance of doing that alone, but if you help me, I know I'll make it."

"Wow, slow down. Yes, we are leaving tonight, but this isn't that simple. If the guards are looking for you, then when we get to the gates, they'll probably search us. And unnecessary attention is the last thing we need right now." Sara said.

"I've figured that out as well. I am going use some things to disguise myself. The only thing you need to do is answer their questions while I pretend to be a problematic kid. The guards pity problematic kids. We'll pass that way."

"But what if they catch us?" Star said as she approached. "We will be in big trouble because of you. And I really don't like trouble." She said suspiciously. The penguine looked at her stunned, but soon recovered.

"There will be no trouble. Please, I really need to leave the city before they catch me and force me to evolve!" The Pokemon said, desperation clear in her voice.

"What wrong with evolving Piplup?" Star asked and the Piplup grimaced.

"I don't want to evolve, and I have a name you know." The Piplup said annoyed. Star glared at her and she backed away.

"That's really nice. You suddenly appear, beg us for help and then get upset because I called you by your kind and not by your name, which you haven't told us yet by the way." Star said annoyed as well.

"Oh sorry. My name is Belle." The Piplup said. She looked around one more time.

"I am Star and this is Sara." Star said pointing at herself and then at Sara. "I am opposed to your plan, but if Sara here wants to help you, then I will as well." Star said and turned to Sara.

"We have nothing to gain and much to lose. I don't really mind about the first, but if I get caught things will get ugly..." Sara said. Belle raised an eyebrow at that statement.

"Why is that? I am the one who will return home and be forced to evolve. You will only be scolded, but they will leave you alone." Belle said.

"It's not that simple Belle... You see, I have a bounty on my head." She said and Belle gasped. This was bad, she was in real danger now. If they only knew that she was the daughter of the most wealthy family on Castal and one of the ten wealthiest in all Ivara... Belle didn't dare to think what would happen.

"Don't worry, she isn't a bad person. She is wanted only because she survived an attack from the 'Order of the Dragon'. She and her friend Alex are the only ones that escaped." Star said and Belle sighed in relief.

"What's it gonna be? Are you going to help me or should I try something else?" Belle asked. If they refused she'd have to look for another way out and she was running out of time. Sara hesitated for a moment, but then sighed.

"Fine. The picture on my bounty is as an Eevee, which will drop the suspicion We are going to return to our room, gather our staff and meet you back here. Meanwhile, find something to hide your identity." Sara said and Belle nodded.

"Are you sure about this?" Star asked when they entered the room. "I don't want to be mean, but we don't have to help her. We are taking a gamble here..."

"I know Star, but I can't just leave her. You could see the desperation in her eyes, as well as hear it in her voice." Sara said and sighed again. She just couldn't refuse. Star nodded and started packing her things. She looked around for a final object, but couldn't find it.

"Sara, you haven't seen my Fire Stone around, have you?" She asked and Sara shook her head. "I can't seem to find it..." She looked around one more time, but still nothing.

"Let me help you, I am done with my things." Sara said and started looking for the stone. She looked around and giggled when she spotted something. Star looked at her puzzled.

"What's so funny?" She asked. She noticed Sara was looking at her tails, so she tried to look as well, but to no avail. "Is there something on my tails?" She asked, circling around, causing Sara to start laughing. "What is it? It's not funny!" She said and Sara walked behind her and pulled something out of one of Star's tails.

"Looking for this?" She asked, showing Star the Fire Stone. She blushed when she realized her stone was on her tails and Sara laughed once more. Both of them stopped though, when the stone started glowing on Sara's hand. "What on Earth?" Sara asked in shock and dropped the stone. It stopped glowing and regained it's natural orange color.

"What just happened?" Star asked, looking between Sara and the Fire Stone in confusion.

"How am I supposed to know? You are the one that usually knows things..." Sara said, still in shock. A light tap on the windows snapped them out of the shock, as they turned and looked at the cloaked figure on the street. Belle was about to take another stone to throw.

"We don't have time to wonder about it. Let's go and we'll talk about it later." Star said and they headed downstairs, gave the key to the Aipon on the reception and walked outside. Belle joined them and they made their way to the gates of the city.

The festival was still going and the cheers could be heard even from that far away. It took them about ten minutes to reach the exit and they saw the guards drinking and chatting cheerfully. They weren't drunk, but the wine had a buoyant effect on them. As soon as they reached the gate, one of the guards stood up and greeted them with a wave of his hand.

"Hello there girls!" He said and smiled. He was tall and muscular. His body was mainly blue with some orange spots around. He also had two black fins on top of head, as well as a fin like tail.

"Hello to you too sir." Star said and one of her tails brushed against Sara's hind leg. Sara took this as a gesture to keep her mouth shut. "It's a nice evening, isn't it?" She asked and smiled at the guard.

"It sure is. And that brings me to a question. What are you, lovely ladies doing so far away from square?" He asked, but Star didn't seem to even break a sweat.

"That's a good question. I'd like to ask you the same question. You look like someone that knows how to party, so how come you are here?" She asked and the guard blinked.

"I am on guard duty lady. I am not allowed to leave my post, even though I'd love to. I am stuck here with my buddies and we celebrate the way we allowed to. You on the other hand, have absolutely no reason to be here." Star sighed miserably and taking the hint, Sara faked to be down as well.

"We have to get back home. We promised Silvia's mother we'd bring her daughter back as soon as the second night of the festival ends." She said and pointed at Belle. The guard looked at her and was about to talk to her, but Star poked him on the shoulder. "Please be careful. Silvia here has a little problem and she gets upset easily." She said and the guard nodded.

"I am not going to hold you much longer. There was an order from the higher ups to keep an eye in case we see a Piplup around. Her family said she was kidnapped, but I believe she run away. Usually we wouldn't pay much attention, but they are sort of powerful, if you get what I mean." He said and turned to Belle.

"Silvia, could you please remove your cloak?" Star asked with a gentle voice. Belle, catching up, clutched the cloak tight around her head. "Come on, only for a couple of seconds, just so the guard can see you and let us go." Belle slowly released her grip and removed the cloak.

"That's a nice kiddo." The guard said with sympathy. Belle had somehow managed to deform her face a little, making it look like she had some sort of problem. "You can put your cloak back on if you want to." He said and belle covered her face once more. "Ok, you are clear to go." He said and let them pass.

"Thank you sir, have a good time with your buddies." Star said and the three of them walked outside the city, heading for Valoria. The Swampert waved goodbye and returned back to his buddies.

"Not the runaway kid?" One of the other guards asked. The Swampert looked at him shook his head.

"It was definitely her." He said and the rest of the guards looked at him in shock. "I can easily tell when someone is trying to trick me. I've been a guard for a long time to be fulled like that."

"Then why did you let them pass?" One of the guards said and jumped up. The Swampert grabbed him by the shoulder and sat him down.

"Why should we waist our celebration for something like that? ." He whined cheerfully.

"Sometimes I don't get you chief." Another guard said and drunk from his mug.

"It was her choice to leave. She is the daughter of a wealthy family and has to follow ridiculous rules. Let her do as she pleases and if she regrets it, she can return home. Besides, we were informed about a kidnapping. They made it crystal clear that she hadn't run away. It's time they realize that their children worth more than just a stupid 'Name'." He said and drunk after a silent toast for the Piplup and her companion's safe travel.

**End of Chapter**

I am sorry once more for the really, really late update. I promise I'll try to update soon.

There was a major hint on Sara's ability on this chapter. We are reaching to the conclusion of this Arc (was this even an arc? :P) 'Evolutions', but only officially. Thanks for reading and I'd really love some reviews!


End file.
